The councilors of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) ask to urgently call a meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council so as to review the rise in the property tax and the “luxury costs” for such projects as the fountains and others. In reply, mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban said the PAS group campaigns and does not know what problems the citizens actually face, IPN reports.

In a news conference, the head of the PAS group on the CMC Vasile Grădinaru said the inhabitants of the municipality received “congratulatory letters” from the mayor of Chisinau and from the “PSRM-Shor coalition”. The previous years the sums paid as property tax were at least two times lower. The inhabitants who last year paid 250 lei in property tax this year will pay 500 lei, while those who paid 350 lei, will now pay 700 lei. So, the tax was raised twice.

According to the councilor, the rise in this tax was decided on December 29, when the PSRM-Shor coalition voted the municipal budget in 45 seconds. Their right to expression was limited, but they wanted to speak about a number of problems identified in that daft decision, including the rise in the property tax from 0.1% to 0.185%. But those problems can be solved and they demand to call a meeting of the CMC so as to review the budget and to put right many other issues. The people should be freed from additional financial pressure during the pandemic and post-pandemic years.

Vasile Grădinaru made reference to a decision adopted by the PSRM-Shor parliamentary alliance that excluded the possibility of paying the property tax in two parts and the 15% discount enjoyed by those who paid the tax at once before time.

After the given conference, mayor Ion Ceban reacted, saying the PAS councilors are campaigning. “They don’t know what they are talking about and mix the property tax with the income tax. Those who gave that news conference didn’t say that 78,000 apartment owners will actually be exempted from paying the property tax. The exemptions will total 500,000 lei of the value of property,” said the mayor.

According to him, the measure refers to pensioners, persons with disabilities, families of persons who were killed in the war for defending the territorial integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova and persons who were maintained by these and also other categories of citizens.