MOLDOVA PLANS TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION TO POPULATION DURING COLD SEASON WITH MONEY

By next winter Moldova plans to pay cold season compensations to the population in money, not in invoices for heat and gas, as it has been done so far. The Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Alexei Buzu, announced this, speaking on Moldova1 public television, the minister said that this method "is easier for citizens because it offers more flexibility."

"If prices remain high, the government will find solutions to support the population. I hope that we will see positive dynamics in this respect, if the energy prices remain relatively low. If we have a compensation system, it will be based on payments in money," Buzu said.

In 2023-2024, the government compensated citizens for heat and gas bills from the budget of the established Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund. The fund's budget consisted of contributions from the state budget, as well as from Moldova's external partners - funds from the European Union, the United States and other partners. The EU contribution to this fund amounted to 1.5 billion lei.