The Chisinau Municipal Council raised the elevator maintenance tax from 5 to 10 lei. The decision was made on Thursday following a request from the head of the Municipal Company “Liftservice” Ion Stanciu. The tax is paid by every dweller, Info-Prim Neo reports. Ion Stanciu argued that the taxes have not been reviewed since 2004 and do not cover the costs, including for paying salaries to mechanics. The head of “Liftservice” also said that many dwellers complain that they often remain blocked between stories as the elevators are old and out of order. Ion Stanciu presented the activity plan for the next two years, which includes the complete repair of about 800 elevators. There are 1,116 elevators in Chisinau that are 20-22 years on average. About 900 of them are older than 25 and their working life has long ago expired. “After such a period, the elevators are modernized or replaced,” Stanciu said, specifying that only two elevators whose working life expired have been replaced from public money during the last few years.