The Government turned down the legislative initiative to increase the salaries of teaching staff. MP Vlad Filat, the president of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, proposed allocating 113 million lei for the purpose for the period between September and December 2008. The related costs were to be covered from the state budget funds obtained from the privatization of public property, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Government argued that the money earned from privatization was planned for financing important investment projects and if the legislative initiative had been approved, the purpose of these funds was to be changed. The Government also said that in order to improve the financial situation of the employees with low salaries, it approved the decision to raise the salaries of budget-paid employees. The decision came into force on October 1, 2008. The executive also stipulated how teachers’ salaries will be increased in the future: from September 1 of every year, in line with the growth in percents of the average salary forecast in the economy compared with the real average salary recorded in the economy a year before. Early in September, the education trade unions had picketed the Government building during several days. Later, the executive decided to raise the salaries of about 118,000 budget-paid employees by 17%. The teachers did not yet agree with the decision, saying that only a small part of teachers will get higher salaries.