Parliament Tuesday held consultations on the draft budgetary-fiscal policy for 2014 with representatives of the business sector for the first time, at the suggestion of Deputy Speaker Andrian Candu and the head of the commission on economy, budget and finance Veaceslav Ionita. Even if the draft policy hasn’t been yet discussed by the Government, the legislature’s administration decided to stage consultations with businessmen beforehand, said Andrian Candu, quoted by IPN.

The intention was welcomed by the representatives of the business sector, who yet had a number of objections, including as regards the intention to increase the health insurance contribution by 1% - by 0.5% for employers and by 0.5% for employees. A number of concessions were asked for small businesses and agriculture.

Andrian Candu said that this initiative of the Government will be yet discussed, including the administration of funds in medicine. “A very careful approach is needed as on the one hand, we index the incomes of private individuals to the rate of inflation, but on the other hand we increase the health contribution. We must also take a decision as regards the management of the health fund,” he stated.

The Deputy Speaker also said that the authorities will return to the problem of reduction or even exclusion of the number of days paid by employers to employees for sick leave. “We will reopen the discussions with the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Finance and will find a possibility to decrease the number of these days or to remove such a practice,” said Andrian Candu.

Veaceslav Ionita said the discussions will continue. He voiced hope that the authorities and the businessmen will finally reach a compromise. He referred to the Government’s intention to increase excises on alcoholic drinks by almost 5% and on fuels by 9%.