Moldovan deputy premier unveils measures of support on emergency state period

Chisinau, 3 April /MOLDPRES/ - More statements which appeared in public space after the government had taken responsibility for a string of measures to support the citizens and the entrepreneurial activity on the state of emergency period represent absolutely irresponsible insinuations and falsehoods. Or, the so-called experts did not read the law and they neither tried to get into the essence of the amendments proposed. Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister Serghei Puscuta made statements to this effect at a news briefing today.     

The deputy PM said that, in the case of the amendments made for the use of subsoil, in fact, four taxes were cancelled out of seven ones which did not bring value added. Puscuta also referred to the subject on an eventual reopening of duty free shops from the Transnistrian region. ‘’Find at least one item which refers to the Transnistrian region; statements of alleged specialists are fully incorrect. Nothing is changing in the working and fiscal regimes of these commercial units,’’ the finance minister said.   

The official touched upon also the measures which were to be carried out in the context of the tobacco law. ‘’The change of the sale places is only postponed, as in the current conditions, this is an unjustified thing and would favour the transmission of coronavirus,’’ Serghei Puscuta said.  

„On 1 April, the government assumed responsibility for a string of anti-crisis measures. The decision was approved in the context of the state of emergency declared through the Moldova’s Parliament Decision on 17 March 2020 and is aimed at establishing additional measures to back the citizens and the entrepreneurial activity on the state of emergency period. Thus, on the social segment, decision-makers adopted measures which represent an unprecedented action, which has never been enforced in Moldova,’’ the deputy prime minister said.     

Puscuta noted that the unemployment benefit was to be increased and the minimal sum would be of 2,775 lei; the categories enjoying unemployment benefit are extended for the people who register as jobless, but do not meet the criteria of providing the unemployment benefit.  At the same time, the government ruled to increase the monthly minimum incomes for the disadvantaged families up to 1,300 lei on the state of emergency period and to increase the quantum of the minimum guaranteed monthly income for each child up to 975 lei.  

The finance minister named the most important provisions of the draft, among which the subsidization of the expenses dealing with the payment of the salary/allowance in the case of technical unemployment or standing, 100 per cent/60 per cent taxes and contributions related to the salaries/allowances paid, depending on the reason for the ceasing of the work.  

The licence holders who ceased working on the state of emergency period will be exempted from the payment for licence. Also, for this category, the social contributions in fixed sum will be returned to people who practice independent activity, private entrepreneurs, who ceased working on the period of state of emergency.

The share of the value added tax is to be cut from 20 to 15 per cent for the HORECA sector. The economic agents which stopped working under decisions by the Commission for Emergency Situations will benefit from the postponing of the term of payment of local taxes till 25 July.  

An additional sum worth 816 million lei will be necessary for implementing the concerned measures, which is to be envisaged in the exercise of budgetary rectification, due to be carried out in the near future.  

A parliament meeting, scheduled for 2 April, during which the government was to present the draft for which it took responsibility at its meeting on 1 April, did not take place over the lack of quorum. The factions of the Party of Socialists and Democratic Party did not come to the meeting; yet, under the legislation, if the parliament does not submit a motion of censure in 72 hours after the government has taken responsibility for a draft law, the draft’s provisions enter into force.   

The parliament declared state of emergency in Moldova on 17 March till 16 May. On this period, the instructions by the National Commission for Emergency Situations, which ruled to take more restrictive measures which hits including the business environment and more employees, are compulsory and executory.