Premier says governance stabilizes Moldova in 2016, carries out reforms, brings equity in 2017, edifies in 2018

Chisinau, 14 December /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Pavel Filip presented the government’s action programme for 2016-2018 in parliament today. The PM made a retrospective of the developments in the last three years and referred to the sectors in which the authorities’ efforts need to be continued, so that the citizens feel concrete results, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.  

The prime minister stressed that the, when taking over the mandate, there had not been a concrete vision on most key segments and the government had acted through deep reforms, in order to improve the economic situation and punctually transform each field. “We wanted to put a solid foundation; we wanted to have a construction due to last. In 2016, we got out of the crisis and economically stabilized the country, in 2017, we carried out reforms and brought equity to some sectors. These efforts allowed thus in 2018 to start edifying. In 2019, the good things must continue,” Pavel Filip said.  

In the context, the prime minister touched upon the most important reforms: government’s reform, reforms for business, reforms of pensions, salaries, health in health care and education. As a result, foreign investments worth 130 million dollars were made in Moldova’s economy; the exports grew by 30 per cent, the incomes – by about five billion lei against the last year. At the same time, in three years, 170,000 jobs were created; the average salary increased by 40 per cent and the pace of prices’ increase dropped from more than 14 per cent to a bit more than one per cent. We have had constant economic growth for three years in a row, 4.5 per cent in 2017 and 5.2 per cent in the second quarter this year. The engines of the economy started working and get revolutions,” the PM added.         

The positive developments in the economy allowed increasing the allocations for social programmes. In this respect, the prime minister highlighted the successful implementation of the pensions reform, increase in more allocations and allowances, as well as the reform of the wage payment system. After the wage payment reform, the teachers’ salaries will grow by 84 per cent against three years ago and some physicians will get a double salary.  

Pavel Filip also referred to social projects, with direct impact on the citizens: renewal of the ambulances’ park, launch of the programmes A New Life, A Doctor for You, infrastructure projects, Good Roads and connection to water and sewerage systems. The government launched the First Home programme, in order to provide young people with good living conditions and cut the number of those emigrating from Moldova.  

At the same time, the PM noted that efforts were still needed in continuation in justice and anticorruption – these remain among the basic sectors for the long run. The projects on interconnection as to the natural gas and electric energy, as well as the starting of the joint patrol of the Moldovan-Romanian border remain on the agenda. In the context, the prime minister emphasized that, during the mandate of this government, for the first time ever since 1992, the Moldovan authorities can fully control the country’s border, including on the Transnistrian segment. Pavel Filip also highlighted the progress made on the Transnistrian dimension, in the relations with the neighbour countries, as well as with foreign partners. “In continuation, the Association Agreement with EU remains our fundamental book and the accession to EU - our sole plan. We want to edify a European country here at home, with European living standards and European citizens,” Pavel Filip said.   

In the end, the PM stressed the good cooperation with the parliament, majority coalition and development partners. Pavel Filip also thanked people who had patience and understanding for the promotion of reforms aimed at making their living better.  

„The unprecedented increases and pensions represent just the first step through which citizens start getting deserved benefits. If all previous governments repaired 1,600 km of roads per year, helped by 1,000 families to buy dwellings, increased the pensions by up to 40 per cent and the allocations for children’s nourishment seven-fold or if they increased the salaries, Moldova would have looked differently at present. Yet, it is important that we continue moving on the good road on which we have set out. We have built the things in such a way in the last years, so that this process of improving people’s living, which we started, should be irreversible,” the prime minister added.