The Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) has decided to increase the allowance offered by the City Hall to couples celebrating their 50th wedding anniversaries from 500 to 1000 lei. Starting 2008, the City Hall will allocate money only for the celebration of gold wedding anniversaries, with the lump-sum allowance of 5000 lei offered to centenarians being paid by the Municipal Fund for Population’s Social Assistance. Each month in 2008, 30 couples on average will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. A total of 360 thousand lei were allocated for them. Gold weddings are officially celebrated in the Civilian Status Office situated on 1 Maria Cibotari Street where couples are being registered in the “Anniversary Book” and are being congratulated by the City Hall administration. Since 1997, some 2000 couples from Chisinau have celebrated their gold weddings.