The bill on the declaration of personal interests and property, the bill on the National Integrity Center and the bill to amend and supplement a number of legal acts were approved by the Cabinet in its February 3 meeting. The three bills, called the package of laws on integrity, were drafted earlier and were included in the agendas of the previous executives, but their approval was delayed for different reasons, IPN reports.

Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari said the approval of these bills forms part of the commitments made by Moldova to the EU. They are aimed at instituting concrete and efficient measures for preventing and combating unjust enrichment, conflicts of interests and states of incompatibility.

Thus, harsher penalties will be imposed on officials who break the law and falsify the income and interest statements, including the dismissal. Besides, the persons dismissed for violating the integrity principles will no longer be able to hold public posts. The bills define the mechanisms for confiscating the property obtained by illegal ways.

The draft law on the National Integrity Center envisions a series of actions aimed at reforming the current Integrity Commission and stipulates the criteria that will be used to choose its members. The post of integrity inspector will be instituted at the Center. This will attentively monitor the submission of income and interest statements by functionaries and will have access to other confidential information about persons. The bill is aimed at ensuring the institutional independence of the Center and at increasing is credibility.

Prime Minister Pavel Filip noted that these laws are extremely necessary as they regulate the activity of important institutions and offer them instruments. However, maximum attention and professionalism are needed for these instruments to be used correctly and not to become tools for committing abuses.