Reshuffles
As part of Government reorganization, Valeriu Lazar Minister of Economy and Commerce, was appointed as Republic of Moldova’s representative to CIS Economic Council, thereby replacing Vasile Iovv.
On May 25, Government appointed Igor Semenovcher as Director General of the Agency for Regional Development. Apparently the newly established agency would oversee the implementation of “Moldovan Village” National Plan. Via the same resolution, Mr. Semenovcher was ousted from the previously held position of Deputy Minister of Industry and Infrastructure.
Resolutions
- The most important document approved by the Government during the aforesaid period is the Government Action Plan for the second quarter of 2005. The plan encompasses conceptions, strategies, national and sector programs; draft laws and draft normative acts that are to be submitted for the Government examination throughout that period as well as some organizational measures to be undertaken. Among the most important documents it is worth mentioning: Program for modernizing educational system in the Republic of Moldova; draft laws on the conflict of interest; on the Culture Fund, on the declaration of income, estate and other goods accrued by the citizens of the Republic of Moldova; draft normative acts on approving the Plan for construction and development of state frontier at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border in the years 2005–2011, on approving Regulation on funding science and innovation, on the implementation of the Government Action Plan for 2005–2009 “Country modernization — peoples’ welfare”, on granting refugee status, etc.
As for the organizational measures to be undertaken: Chairmanship of GUUAM (currently GUAM); negotiating and signing bilateral cooperative agreements with EU member states in the field of European integration.
- To enforce the Law on the State Budget for 2005 and several previous governmental motions, Government decided on distributing allocations to raise salaries to employees of institutions funded by administrative-territorial units. The total amount of allocations is worth 60.8 million Lei (4,83 million USD).
- Given the problems faced by farmers in localities close to Dubasari security zone, Government passed a resolution approving the draft law on canceling penalties, as of January 2005, calculated for the failure to duly transfer social insurance to the state budget.
- In a similar motion Government cancelled penalties and fines as of December 31, 2004 for the failure to pay taxes to businesses, which do not have arrears on tax payment. Those exemptions amount 161.7 million Lei (12,84 million USD), out of which 57.1 million Lei (4,53 million USD) fine and 104.5 million Lei (8,3 million USD)- penalties. Noteworthy, so far 516.6 thousand businesses, which fully paid taxes, applied for canceling the fines and penalties.
- Also, Government approved the joint program of the European Commission and Council of Europe for the Republic of Moldova. The program will support democratic reforms in the country and is to be implemented by 2006. An inter-ministerial committee headed by Andrei Stratan, Senior-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, would oversee its enforcement.
Under the motion, Ministries and other local government authorities should submit within one month individual action plans on the plan enforcement to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Based on those plans the Ministry would develop and submit for Government approval the National Plan.
According to the Senior-Deputy Prime-Minister Andrei Stratan by enforcing the plan Moldovan legislation would be adjusted to European standards, as provided by the EU-Moldova Action Plan and various joint projects would be carried out to consolidate local democracy and support social-vulnerable groups.
- Two weeks after the Russian governmental weekly Nezavisimaia Moldova was liquidated Government decided the same fate for the Romanian version Moldova suverana. The move comes as a follow up to the string of measures set forth by the Christian-Democrats for voting Vladimir Voronin for the second term.