Activity of the Government on July 16 – August 1, 2008

Appointments. Dismissals

Veaceslav Dobinda, Head of Department in MFAEI, was proposed as Moldovan ambassador to Estonia.
Constantin Mosleancov was appointed administrator of the Tvardita-based Free Enterprise Zone.
Anatol Turcanu was appointed Deputy Minister of Construction and Territorial Development.
Valeriu Hincu, officer of the Security and Information Service, was appointed director of the Interior Ministry’s Centre for Combating Trafficking in Persons (the appointment is coordinated with the U.S. Embassy).

Under governmental decisions, the following officials were relieved from their offices upon their “demands”:

Vladimir Verdes, director-general of the Drug Agency;
Ion Sturzu, Deputy Minister of Finance;
Sergiu Rata, Deputy Minister of Health;
Petru Plop, Director of the Interior Ministry’s Centre for t for Combating Trafficking in Persons.

Decisions

Decision approving the methodology for assessing the corruption risks within public institutions. The document sets up a mechanism to assess existing and possible risks, establishing ways to report and reduce them by the employees of public institutions independently or jointly with other competent bodies.

Decision increasing nominative compensations for certain categories of people. Starting August 2008, nominative compensations will be increased by about 30 percent for natural gas and by approximately 13 percent for electricity. Compensations will be increased over the rise of natural gas and electricity tariffs for final consumers on August 1. About 155,000 persons will be paid natural gas compensations and another 230,000 people will receive compensations for electricity. More than 7 million lei will be allocated from the state budget for the next four months to cover the rises.

Decision on building the Cainari Industrial Park. The park will cover about 24 hectares, with the governmental social capital accounting for 10,000 lei. The term is estimated at 15 years and it may be extended.

Decision on awarding prizes to Moldovan performers attending the Beijing Olympics. According to governmental decision, winners of golden medals will be awarded a 70,000-euro price, silver winners will get 50,000 Euros and bronze winners 30,000 Euros. Athletes who will rank the 4^th-8^th places will be awarded between 1,000 and 15,000 Euros and similar prizes will be also awarded to trainers of winners and their doctors (20 percent of the value of prize which will be awarded to the assisted athlete).

Decision extending the term of free of charge documentation of Transnistrian residents. The Government has extended with six months up to December 31, 2008 the term for the confirmation of citizenship and documentation of people from the left bank of the Dniester River. About 60 percent of residents of the Transnistrian region have been issued identity cards of Moldova until now.

Decision approving the Regulation on remuneration of workers of some state enterprises, organisations and institutions. There are 18 state enterprises which pay excessively differentiated rises, supplements and prizes by breaching and neglecting the legislation in effect. Very large funds are wasted for payments unrelated to work (prizes, rises, aid, rewards). Thus, the medium salary in some state enterprises exceeds 3–4-fold the medium wage on country (the medium salary of an AGEPI employee is 8,199 lei, while the state enterprise Registrul Cinematografic pays an average salary worth 1,967 lei. The document aims to unify sizes and conditions to grant rises, supplements and prizes to salaries.

Decision approving the draft law on introduction of a safeguard tax. It introduces an additional 20-percent tax on import of sweets, chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cacao. The National Association of Producers has sought these measures to sustain the domestic sweet and bakery industries which are losing their marketplace because of imported products.

Decision liquidating the joint stock society Stadionul Republican. The initiative promoted by the Sport Agency is motivated by the fact that this institution is not functioning, as the stadium was demolished. The Ministry of Justice has signalled that the draft document does not stipulate the procedure of liquidation and dismissal of workers.

Sittings. Decisions. Statements

Big energy price rise

Under a decision by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER), the medium natural gas tariff for final consumers will grow by about 27 percent on average starting August 1, from 2,775 up to 3,523 lei per 1,000 cubic metres. Electricity tariffs for final consumers will grow by about 20 percent. At the same time, natural gas tariffs for householders consuming up to 30 cubic metres a month will be 3,414 lei (2,666 lei formerly), while tariffs for those consuming more than 30 cubic metres of gas have grown from 3,161 up to 3,813 lei per 1,000 cubic metres.

Note by ADEPT: Thus, as the gas price has grown by 37 dollars only, the rise for some final consumers will be about 45 Euros and the price they pay per 1,000 cubic metre of gas will exceed 254 Euros (the gas is bought in exchange for 253 dollars only). The rise has a political nature, with authorities assuring themselves that they will not have to increase prices on winter, when the consumption is bigger and consumers will not be “additionally troubled” before parliamentary elections. New tariffs will also increase the pressing of heating supplied to consumers and will bring a series of other successive rises.

Additional actions to secure motor traffic

The traffic in 2007 and first half of 2008 was very dangerous and the Interior Ministry cannot ensure an essential improvement: 464 persons were killed and 2,984 were hurt in 2,437 traffic accidents in 2007 and 161 people were killed and another 1,290 were hurt in 1,068 accidents in the first half of 2008. In order to redress the situation, the Government has decided to reintroduce the compulsory subject Traffic Security in secondary schools for all forms starting September 1. Also, it ordered the installation of automatic traffic supervision systems in streets of Chisinau municipality; endowment of subdivisions to test motor vehicles with new adequate means for the control of technical condition and with control means to test the alcohol concentration in the air expired by motorists; the State Transportation Administration will work out the national standard for technical condition of motor vehicles and their equipment, mechanism of implementation of the Euro-2 standard for second-hand imported motor vehicles; a special attention will be granted to driving institutions; norms on psycho-physiological and health condition of motorists and candidates will be revised. The Interior Ministry has promoted a draft law and submitted it to the Parliament, which stipulates to triple fines for drunken motorists.

Progress in elaborating the Compact Programme

The committee monitoring the process of elaboration of the Compact Programme chaired by prime minister has studied the stage of evaluation of the country proposal for Compact assistance by the U.S. Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). Within the Compact Programme the MCA will deeply study projects on reconstruction of road segments and transition to a modern agriculture. The assistance within the Compact Programme will be approved in dependence of several factors, including success in implementing the Preliminary Country Programme, and those in charge with this plan say that more than three fourths of the planned actions have been accomplished on time, with about 200 million lei being spent for this purpose.

Concerns with juvenile crime

Prime minister was discontent with actions aimed at combating the juvenile crime, at a joint meeting of collegial councils of the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Local Public Administration, Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Youth, Ministry of Health, and Prosecutor-General’s Office. According to available data, 30,000 minors are annually educated against crime, about 99,000 children are not supervised by their parents who are abroad, and the police are supervising more than 4,300 minor offenders. The premier was indignant over attitude of central public administration regarding juvenile problems and lack of cooperation within these authorities. Mrs. Greceanii recommended competent authorities to work out an action plan against juvenile crime within a week and to deliver it to district councils for execution, instructing heads of districts to organise meetings with officials in charge with education and integration of children into society.

Concerns with combating trafficking in human beings

A report on prevention of trafficking in human beings in Moldova for 2007–2008 was presented at a meeting of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Victor Stepaniuc. The deputy premier said that the ranking of Moldova on the 3^rd place among countries with grave problems in this area by the U.S. Department of State is a signal that the fight against trafficking in persons is imperfect. Stepaniuc condemned the complicity of functionaries in trafficking in persons and promised that decisive actions will be taken against all officials concerned. In order to redress the situation, the Government and competent institutions are implementing special plans and actions, and many other actions are planned till the end of this year.

Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii has also tackled the human trafficking issue at a meeting with coordinators of the U.S. Department of State for Moldova. She stated that the Moldovan Government is concerned with trafficking in human beings and it does its best to reduce this scourge. Representatives of the Department of State have appreciated the efforts made by Moldovan Government in 60 days granted after the report concerned was released, in order to remedy shortcomings in the fight against trafficking in human beings, and assured that they back the idea to consolidate the communication between structures in charge with this area.

Elaboration of the national security strategy

The commission chaired by Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii has discussed the concept of the future document at a first sitting. The national security strategy will be a ground for the elaboration of the national military strategy, strategy on public information regarding national security matters and other sectoral strategies on national security. The prime minister invited the civil society to participate in the elaboration process and demanded the establishing of a technical group to work out the draft by August 20, 2008. The document will be accompanied by an action plan on implementation.

Problematic selection of members of the National Council for Participation

The Government has extended the term for the selection of members of the National Council for Participation, which will be made of representatives of civil society, business environment, development partners, in order to consult them in the process of elaboration, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and updating of strategic planning documents.

Management of flood crisis

The prime minister convoked the national emergency commission on July 26, 2008 and decided to nominate Deputy Prime Minister Igor Dodon in charge with the organisation, protection and security of population. The population was warned over possible floods, with the commission deciding to evacuate the leisure area in the town of Vadul-lui-Voda. The prime minister noted that Moldovan authorities have already taken necessary actions and the situation is under control due to efficient cooperation with Ukrainian Government, and Moldovan authorities are able to get ready for emergency situations in meadows of the Dniester and Prut Rivers, as well as to prevent people from areas concerned;
Deputy Premier Igor Dodon told a newss conference on July 27, 2008 that central and local public authorities have taken all necessary actions to protect people from risky zones who have been affected or could be affected by floods (all children, personnel and persons resting in summer camps and spas from the leisure area in Vadul lui Voda have been evacuated; Dniester and Proute areas which were affected or could be affected by floods have been evacuated);
The prime minister chaired a meeting of the emergency commission on July 28, 2008 which considered the state of things and reported the evacuation of persons. Taking part in the sitting was chairman of the Chisinau Municipal Council Eduard Musuc, although the mayor-general of the capital who also heads the municipal emergency commission is in charge with emergency situations. Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii ordered the establishing of a special commission to evaluate the cost of flooded homes and farm land;
Moldova and Romania decided on July 29, 2008 to increase the spill-over from the accumulation lake Costesti; residents from 27 localities are being evacuated. A special commission headed by the deputy minister of construction and territorial development will assess necessities and costs to build new homes for victims of natural disasters and this commission will join the national commission to evaluate consequences of floods;
On July 30, 2008, the Ministry of Finance opened a special account to collect funds from donations in order to assist victims of natural disasters.
The prime minister invited members of the cabinet of ministers, public authorities of all levels, citizens and economic agents at the beginning of an ordinary sitting of the executive to be responsible and abnegated in actions to protect citizens affected by recent massive floods. Foreign partners were invited to consider possibilities of providing emergency assistance to attenuate consequences of floods and assist victims of natural disasters.
Note by ADEPT: The media noted that on the day when the appeal was launched several draft decisions stipulating the allocation of more than 5.7 million lei to renovate a new headquarter of the audiovisual media watchdog CCA, as well as a decision withdrawing a building evaluated at about 11 million lei from SA Circul in Chisinau and its transmission to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and delivery of state shares worth the value of the building concerned to this society by the Agency of Public Property, were part of the agenda of the governmental sitting.
The commission for the evaluation of consequences of floods held the first sitting on July 31, 2008 and outlined tasks for every participating central public authority, in particular, the Ministry of Public Administration was instructed to place persons evacuated from flooded localities or those running the risk to be flooded; the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry will evaluate the flooded farm land; the Ministry of Finance and Agency of Material Reserves, Public Acquisitions and Material Assistance will daily report financial and humanitarian aid donated to victims of floods; the Interior Ministry will assist people to evacuate water from their cellars and homes; the Ministry of Construction and Territorial Development is in charge with ensuring the housing of victims of floods and started evacuating houses which shall be reconstructed and renovated. As of July 31, 2008, authorities have evacuated 4,939 persons and reported 466 flooded houses and 374 villas;
It was reported at a meeting of the Commission for abolition of flood consequences of floods on August 1 that residents of flooded localities are being vaccinated; 600 dead cattle and 2,500 fowl (mainly brought by water from neighbouring countries Ukraine and Romania) have been evacuated; disinfectants have been procured and disseminated to disinfect wells and hotbeds of catching diseases in flooded localities.

e-democracy.md