The MPs of the Communists Party boycotted the approval of the budget of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) for 2010 by the Parliament. They expressed their indignation at the decision to raise the Agency’s budget, at a time when the charges for end-users were increased, and the salaries of the ANRE directors that they consider too high. “The salaries were not fixed now, but last year,” the Agency’s new director Victor Parlikov told the press, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Parliament Friday did not manage to approve the ANRE’s budget that provides for incomes and spending of over 18 million lei. The Communist MPs refused to vote, saying the sum was exaggerated and the number of employees cannot be increased following the rise in charges. Communist MP Inna Supac asked the chairman of the commission for economic policy, budget and finances Veaceslav Ionita to say what salary the ANRE director general received if the Agency budgeted over 8 million lei for salaries. “19,700 lei,” Ionita answered. “The salaries in the budget for this year are the same as last year and the Communist MPs know this very well,” Victor Parlikov said. For his part, the ANRE director expressed his indignation at the fact that the Parliament ordered reexamining the Agency’s budget. “We will meet difficulties in our work with the budget not approved. We cannot start hiring people, but we need new workers,” he said, adding he will propose that the salaries of the ANRE directors be reduced. “Many members of the Alliance for European Integration remained astounded when they found out what salaries the ANRE directors are paid,” Veaceslav Ionita told the reporters. According to him, it is a great difference between the salaries of the directors and the ordinary employees, who receive not more than 6,000 lei. “I asked Mister Parlikov to reexamine the salaries of the five directors of the ANRE’s Administration Board. If their salaries are decreased, the Agency’s budget could be reduced by about 20%,” Ionita said .