The Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) on December 24 decided to let the Government become beneficiary of the high pressure gas duct Tocuz-Cainari-Mereni in exchange for 1.5 million lei needed to technically supervise the building project. Municipal councillor Mihai Severovan said that the construction works have been financed from the state budget, but no resources were allocated for the technical supervision of the project. These costs should have been included in the project’s general estimate. According to Severovan, the Ministry of Finance did not oppose paying this sum and promised to transfer the 1.5 million lei in the next few days. Though the municipality was named as beneficiary of the project when the building works started in 2006, it allotted no money for the construction. After the local authorities ignored requests to co-finance the project, the Government designated the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure as project beneficiary. Earlier, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev expressed his indignation at the fact that the new administration of the Chisinau City Hall categorically refuses to finance the construction of the gas pipeline, which was designed to supply the municipality with the necessary amounts of natural gas. Mayor General Dorin Chirtoaca said the pipeline was built with deviations from the legislation. One of the irregularities is that the contractor was chosen by Government Decision and not at public auction as required by the law. The mayor was concerned that the municipal authorities will take over the pipeline together with debts of about 70 million lei. The gas pipeline Tocuz-Cainari-Mereni is 62.5 kilometres long and has a transportation capacity of 800 million cubic metres a year. It was announced that the duct will fully supply with gas the capital city and a number of settlements in Anenii Noi, Causeni and Ialoveni districts. The construction works were completed in a record time of ten months and cost about 180 million.