10m lei provided for repairing Chisinau schools

A sum of 20 million lei was allocated from the local budget for repairing the schools in Chisinau. The debts for the repair works carried out last year total 6.5 million lei and will be paid from this sum, Info-Prim Neo reports. “This sum is low. We need five times more money to pay all the costs. We hope the Chisinau Council will allocate more money after assessing the revenues collected in the first half of the year,” said the head of the General Division of Education, Youth and Sport Tatiana Nagnibeda-Tverdohleb. The money will be used to repair the roofs of 40 institutions, the sanitary equipment in 25 institutions and the electrics in three institutions and to finish construction works in 41 schools. “Many schools are in need of immediate repair. In some of them the education process could be suspended,” said Tatiana Nagnibeda-Tverdohleb. By 20 million lei on average a year were provided during the last few years, but the sums needed were much larger. Communist Chisinau councilor Reghina Apostolova said five years ago the schools received by at least 25 million lei for repairs. “I think the General Finance Division should find minimum 6 million lei more for these purposes. Otherwise, we will not be able to open the schools on September 1,” she said. Deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu said there is no money available at present. Additional money could be allocated after the revenues are assessed. More than 700 million lei is earmarked early for schools and education in the municipality of Chisinau. This is about half of the local budget. 75% of the money is used to pay salaries, 10% to pay for public utilities, 10% to pay for chidlren's meals at school and only 5% for repairs and equipment.