Freelance workers will be able to opt for the entire package of social benefits, including maternity or paternity leave, if they pay a higher social contribution. The Parliament has approved, in the first reading, a bill that extends social insurance rights for this category of people, reports IPN.

The initiative, drafted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, aims to apply the principle of equal treatment between women and men who carry out independent activities and transposes into the legislation of the Republic of Moldova the European standards in the field.

According to the project, independent workers will be able to choose to benefit from the entire social benefits package by submitting a declaration to the National House of Social Insurance and paying an increased fixed tax, set annually by the State Social Insurance Budget Law.

In this case, they will have the right to compensation for temporary incapacity to work, maternity allowance, child-rearing allowance, paternity allowance, as well as a one-time allowance in the case of adopting a child. At the same time, the project stipulates that the wives of independent workers will also be able to benefit from maternity allowance.

The data from the State Fiscal Service shows that, in 2024, in the Republic of Moldova there were 50,879 registered independent workers who were contributing to the state social insurance budget. Currently, they only benefit from retirement due to age limit and death assistance, without having access to maternity benefits or other social services.