The Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption (CAPC) established that the Law on Public Finances and Budgetary-Fiscal Responsibility, for which the Government assumed political responsibility, is vulnerable to corruption and runs counter to the Association Agreement with the EU. Expert Viorel Parvan told a news conference at IPN that there was no need to hasten the adoption of this bill by assuming political responsibility before Parliament.
According to the expert, the law, which already took effect, gives improper powers and extends the inspection powers of the Financial Inspectorate over private economic entities and individuals when they interact with public entities. This way, the Financial Inspectorate will have the same duties as the Tax Inspectorate, the General Police Inspectorate and the Customs Service.
Viorel Parvan said the extension of the Financial Inspectorate’s inspection powers over the private sector is against Moldova’s commitments stipulated in the Association Agreement with the EU, which says that the state inspections must be limited in number.
He also said that the adopted law undermines the independence of the autonomous central public authorities as it provides that their budgets will be formed by the Government, at the suggestion of the Ministry of Finance, without taking into account the proposals of these authorities.
At the same time, the Government didn’t explain the necessity of adopting this law as a matter of urgency. Moreover, a similar bill passed through all the legislative procedures and was submitted to Parliament, but wasn’t put to the vote on the last 100 meters, said the CAPC head Galina Bostan. The Government proposed the initial bill that was slightly improved, but this law is vulnerable to corruption.
Galina Bostan stated that the government adopted the initial variant of the bill for its convenience, but this law must be amended. The current government already modified many laws several months after they took effect. This points to lack of good faith.
The CAPC assessed the bill within the project “Vulnerability appraisal of draft normative and legal documents” that is financially supported by MATRA Rule of Law and Good Governance of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
