​AFTER THREE UNHAPPY ATTEMPTS, CHICU GOVERNMENT AT LAST PRESENTS ITS LAWS TO PARLIAMENT

From a 4th attempt, the Premier Chicu Government has today managed to present in parliament its 4 laws, which the Government adopted last week under its own responsibility. Last Thursday, Friday and this week’s Monday, attempts to convoke the forum’s plenary meetings were unsuccessful because opposition factions were refusing to come, so there was no quorum.

The minimum necessary quorum of 51 MPs in the 101-meember forum was ensured today by MP Stefan Gatcan. On June 30, he suddenly announced his quitting the Socialist faction and joining the Pro Moldova group. But on the following day he stated his retirement from the Parliament, and vanished “from the public area”, as he warned, remaining out of contact for a week. Today, however, he reappeared in the Parliament and stated he was continuing his work as a deputy.

Seeing that Gatcan had ensured the quorum, the opposition deputies from the DA Platform and the Party of Action and Solidarity returned to the session room after one-week-long boycott. But shortly after that they again left the forum because they had not got registered for the plenary meeting, so Speaker Zinaida Greceanii could not put to the vote their motions on changing the plenary agenda.

The four draft laws presented by the Parliament presuppose amendments to four laws – the Law on salaries in the public sector, the Law on the 2020 State Budget, the Law on social insurance budget and the Law on compulsory health insurance budget. These bills stipulate a phased increasing of salaries to health employees starting from September 2020 (400 million lei), lump-sum allowances of 700 lei to pensioners whose pensions are below 3,000 lei a month; an increase of the Agriculture Development Fund by 100 million lei; an increase of the Fund for security of credits issued to small and medium enterprises (SMEs); allowances for the families of health workers who died of COVID-19 while at work (3.3 million lei).

The amendments stipulate also an increase of the State Budget expenditure side by 1 billion lei up to 55.6 billion lei (+2.4%). The Budget revenue side figure will grow by 52.4 million lei – up to 37.8 billion lei. And the Budget deficit will thus be in the excess of 17 billion lei.

Since the moment of the presentation of the bills, a 3-day countdown will begin, during which time the deputies, in case of their disagreement, may vote no confidence in the Government. Otherwise, upon expiry of 72 hours, the draft laws adopted by the Government upon its own responsibility shall come into force.