Andrei Năstase, the Dignity and Truth Platform (PDA)’s leader and presidential candidate, says he will make every effort so that the minimum pension in Moldova exceeds 2,500 lei. Năstase estimates the measure will require 3,5 billion lei and he trusts the money can be identified.

“In the next four years, we plan to additional revenue to the budget of no less than 20 billion lei, by attracting foreign investment, by dismantling schemes in public procurement, by combating shadow economy, by annulling some arbitrary fiscal relief measures, and by imposing additional luxury and sin taxes,” Năstase told a press conference.

The politician mentioned that already in February his party submitted a legislative initiative proposing a formula “to significantly and steadily” increase pensions below the subsistence minimum. He explicitly proposed that pensions be indexed to the inflation rate for the previous year.

Under that proposal, all pensions should have been indexed by 7.5% on April 1, while 440,000 pensioners who receive pensions below the minimum subsistence level should have benefited from a double increase, or 15%. The profit made by the National Bank and shared with the State Budget would have been an additional source for covering the costs of the measure.

“Unfortunately, our proposal was not supported by the parliamentary majority due to the austerity of the budget. And today we are all witnessing a mockery of the elderly, who are promised a one percent increase,” said the politician.

PDA is now demanding that the Government gives all pensioners a 1,000 lei payout as a matter of urgency.