The draft state budget and budgetary-fiscal policy for 2021 were passed after being given a second reading, with 56 votes in favor, late yesterday evening. The state social insurance budget and the draft law on the mandatory health insurance funds were also given a second reading. The documents were put to the vote without being debated. The opposition MPs expressed their indignation at not being invited to the sitting that started after 10pm as the bills were to be discussed on December 17. The Socialist MPs argued they acted like this so as to avoid interminable discussions on important laws, IPN reports.
The state budget revenues were adopted at 41.415 billion lei, up 4.2 billion lei or 11.3% on the state budget for 2020. The rise is based on the higher amounts planned to be collected as taxes and on grant inflows.
The state budget provides for an expenditure of 55.399 billion lei, an increase of 2.2 billion lei or 4.1% on the expenditure for 2020. The state budget expenditure is determined by the objectives of the medium-term budgetary framework.
The budget deficit was projected at 13.984 billion lei. The sources for financing the deficient are the domestic ones (purchase of shareholdings, proceeds from sale of publicly owned state property and assets of banks under liquidation) and foreign ones.
The draft budgetary-fiscal policy for 2021 contains amendments to 43 laws and is aimed at adjusting the budgetary-fiscal and customs legislation to the economic and social developments as a result of the epidemiological situation and at strengthening state institutions’ capacities to collect budget revenues and to optimize fiscal and customs administration.
PPPDA MP Alexandr Slusari, who came to the assembly hall, said the MPs of the Party of Socialists and For Moldova Platform pursue hidden goals and thus want to adopt the main laws in a hurry. “Three criminal groups hold sittings at midnight and vote on the most important laws concerning the budgetary-fiscal policy. Something like this hasn’t been witnessed even during the rule of Plahotniuc. What right do you have to do something like this? You vote at 11pm. There are several hundred amendments and they should be discussed. What’s going on? This Parliament should be dissolved as swiftly as possible,” stated the MP.
“Everything comes to an end sooner or later. The same refers to the Democratic Party that lost the power due to such a reason. You will witness such moments too and will regret that you hadn’t been more transparent and willing to discuss, including with the parliamentary opposition. These happenings are shameful,” said Pro Moldova leader Andrian Candu, addressing the Socialist and For Moldova MPs.
PAS MP Radu Marian said the amendments proposed to the draft state budget and budgetary-fiscal policy for 2021 were discussed by the Parliament’s commission on economy, budget and finance at night, in a hurry, by violating the regulations that oblige making audio and video recordings. The money was divided according to purely political reasons and the country was sold by pieces.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Vlad Batrîncea, of the PSRM, said the sitting was organized this way in order to avoid the prolongation of the political Ping-Pong over important documents needed by the country.
Parliament Speaker Zinaida Grechanyi said the ordinary session is over and an extraordinary session will be convoked in several days to debate the motion of no confidence against the Government that was submitted by 34 opposition MPs.
