​PRESIDENT DODON SAYS TO IMF MISSION THAT HE WILL INSIST ON CANCELING THE LAW ON STOLEN BILLION REPAYMENT

President of Moldova Igor Dodon met on Friday with the International Monetary Fund mission, which is working in Moldova in the period of February 14 through 28.

On his Facebook page he wrote that he told to mission representatives that he will strive for canceling of the law on the order of repaying the stolen billion.

“I said that in current conditions the Government, together with the Fund representatives found the best decision – to shoulder the repayment of the stolen money on country’s citizens. I stood categorically against the decision that Moldovan citizens to repay the stolen money. I said that I will insist on cancelling the law on billion and will do my best that these funds to be repaid by those, who was involved in this theft, that all the guilty to be punished, the property of those who directly or indirectly participated in this crime, to be seized or sold”, Dodon wrote.

He also said to IMF mission members that the first sitting of the new Supreme Security Council will be dedicated to the problem of the money, stolen from the country’s banking system.

“There are also other decisions for repaying the stolen billion. In the nearest time, I will make my position public. We agreed to work at the expert level on resolving this issue”, Dodon said.

He also wrote that he intends to block the Law on tax amnesty in the variant it was submitted to the Parliament.

According to him, during the meeting with IMF delegation members, he informed the Mission about its vision on Moldova’s cooperation with IMF and other international organizations.

“I made a clear drive forward. I stand for cooperation with international structure, but my position in this sense is categorical: this cooperation should be in interests of Moldova and its citizens. I stressed that on one hand, I am concerned, while on the other hand, I do not support many provisions of the Memorandum Cooperation with Moldova in what concerns the pension system, the frosting of the salary growth, the growth of tariffs, restriction in the volume of money, allocated for agriculture subsidies”, he said.

The messages of President and his press service say nothing about IMF mission members’ opinion on the discussed issues. Before, the IMF was insisting on adopting the law on covering the financial hole in the budget that appeared due to providing to the National Bank of money for covering debts of the three liquidated banks. The Government’s decision on transferring this sum into Moldova’s state debt was approved by the IMF. The adoption of this law was one of Fund’s main conditions for signing a new memorandum with Moldova and for resumption of country external financing.