Activity of the Government on May 31 – June 14, 2006

Decisions

Decision approving a draft law on status of penal investigation officer. The draft proposes to establish the rights, obligations and responsibilities of penal investigators who investigate cases in line with penal legislation of Moldova.

Decision approving the quality infrastructure concept of Moldova. According to the document, the quality system of Moldova (metrology, standards, testing and accreditation) will be adjusted to the European system. The final goal of implementation of the new system is to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Moldovan goods. The Ministry of Economy and Trade will present an action plan on implementation of the concept to the Government.

Decision on empowerment to sign visa agreement. The Government has empowered the minister of foreign affairs and European integration to negotiate and sign an agreement on introduction of visas for Moldovan citizens who enter Romania. It was earlier said that the system will be simplified and visas will be awarded for free.

Decision on opening of the Moldovan Embassy to Georgia and of Consulate to Italy. The Government has proposed to the chief of state to open a diplomatic representation in the Caucasian republic in order to obtain advantages and possibilities of a stronger bilateral cooperation. Earlier, the Government has decided to open the Moldovan Embassy to Uzbekistan. The Government has also decided to create a consulate general of Moldova to Italy (in Bologna).

Decision on allocation of funds for renovation of roads. The Government has ordered the Finance Ministry to allocate 100 million lei to some authorities of local public administration for renovation of local roads and streets. The amounts are allocated “from revenues raised additionally to the state budget in 2006” and they will be included in the budget when it will be rectified. It means that the Government has decided to distribute public funds without Parliament’s consent needed for distribution of such finances.

Sittings. Decisions and Declarations

Implementation of Moldovan Village Programme

As recommended by chief of state, the results of implementation of the National Programme Moldovan Village have been discussed at a seminar with the participation of representatives of local authorities, Government members, prime minister and president of Moldova^[1]. The participants outlined the shortcomings in drinking water providing sector, quality of roads, and evacuation of waste and saving of primary energy resources. Vladimir Voronin expressed satisfaction with pace of gasification of localities, though citizens pay for many works and some prices are increased, so that a stricter control for selection of enterprises performing the gasification works is required. It should be noted that the Government and chief of state spoke out about control on prices pf gasification works earlier this year, promising including in the parliamentary electoral campaign to elaborate and implement a single price calculation mechanism, while enterprises will hold the right to a very low interest.

Implementation of “SALT” programme

Prime minister has convoked decision makers at a sitting on implementation of the National Education Programme SALT (Jump), which was launched in 2004 at the initiative of chief of state and stipulated the endowment of all educational institutions in Moldova to computers connected to Internet. According to information released at the sitting, the network of connection through optic fibres was built in all localities of the country and every pre-university institution in Moldova was endowed “with at least one computer and most of them have been connected to Internet” (it did not say if the installed operation systems are licensed, as some verifying process may develop in Moldova in connection with appearance of Microsoft representation in Moldova, which will give an impulse to the process of installation of the verified soft). The prime minister has ordered that the new information system start working on September 1, 2006, at the beginning of the new school year. Vasile Tarlev also ordered competent bodies to elaborate modalities of financing of pre-university educational institutions for an efficient use of resources offered by SALT Programme.

Fulfilment of E.U. — Moldova Action Plan

The Government has examined the implementation of the Action Plan, with the minister of foreign affairs and European integration reporting on this topic. Andrei Stratan indicated the need to respect the terms for issuing and presentation of documents required by Plan and recommended the participating ministries to look for effective methods to implement it and not to wait for indications from the coordinating institution — the Foreign Ministry. The remaining priorities of implementation of the Action Plan are: judiciary reform, regulatory reform, energy reform. A special attention will be paid to training in the European integration field, drafting of a strategy to inform society about European integration process. According to the deputy prime minister, the assessments of corapporteurs on behalf of civil society will be taken into consideration when reports regarding the fulfilment of the Action Plan will be drafted, and a mechanism of cooperation between public authorities and civil society will be elaborated soon.

Elaboration of Expense Framework for 2007–2009

A governmental sitting has discussed the draft Medium-Term Expense Framework for (2007–2009). According to the Finance Ministry, the budgetary-fiscal policy for the next years will be based on a series of traditional principles aimed to encourage investments, to stimulate economic activity and to ensure social stability. Fiscal taxes are expected to grow by 14–19 percent a year, so that the budget for 2009 be over 1.5-fold larger than for 2005. Resources which will be allocated for implementation of the law on salary system in budgetary sector, more expenses for science and innovation are outlined in expense category. The document proposes to increase personal tax exemptions for individuals and a reduction of income tax.

Concerns with trade of alcohol drinks and drugs

The prime minister has told a working sitting with the participation of officials of MoldovaVin Agency that the Government is ready to legalise the trade of homemade wine. Vasile Tarlev considers that legalisation of the process will contribute to regulation of wine making sector, support of citizens to sell wine and legalisation of incomes raised this way, this process complying with European requirements in the field. At present, contravention fines are in effect for illegal trading of homemade wine, while the law on vine and wine enforced in late May 2006 defines the “homemade wine” as a wine made by individuals under rustic conditions for family (personal) consumption.

The prime minister has instructed the Ministry of Economy and Trade at another sitting to elaborate a strict mechanism for issuing of authorisations for sale of alcohol drinks and tobacco products, in order to prevent their trading near educational institutions. Mass media quoted Vasile Tarlev as saying that the illicit trade and sale of alcohol drinks and tobacco products near educational institutions violate the economic and food security of the country.

The Government is aware of essence of competition in drug trade, but it does not warm the unfair competition of some participants in pharmaceutical market. The prime minister considers that the present situation in the field is unsatisfactory and ordered the creation of a working group to draft an action plan on settlement of crisis in pharmaceutical system. Representatives of the State Drug Agency consider that norms on enlargement of network of pharmacies and their branches are needed to prevent an uncontrolled extension. They said that the automatic drug record and control information system called State Nomenclature of Drugs was not implemented in due terms in the Chisinau municipality. Representatives of pharmacists noted however that the system is crossing a period of crisis, while the norms required by Government and growth of VAT for drugs mean more management-related expenses and higher prices, a situation capable to have a negative impact on activity of small pharmacies from rural localities.

↑ Parliamentarians did not attend the seminar though opposition lawmakers have sought at several sittings in a row the hearing of Government in Parliament concerning the implementation of the Moldovan Village National Programme. The majority faction did not warm the decision every time though some Communist lawmakers were interested in implementation of the programme.

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