Autumn agricultural campaign is in danger owing to lower state budget allocations to Gagauzia, Mihail Formuzal

The budget of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia over January-August this year was 96% fulfilled. A sum of 788.31 million lei was collected into the budget, down 798,900 lei compared with the corresponding period last year. 14.6 million lei was transferred from the state budget to Gagauzia in the period, which is 88% of the projections, Governor Mihail Formuzal told a news conference on Tuesday. “The volume of taxes paid into the state budget has decreased and this is a reason for concern. The Gagauz producers have not been paid 322,000 lei in agricultural subdivides, while the local economic entities have not been refunded 25 million lei for the VAT,” Formuzal said, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. This endangers the autumn agricultural campaign, the Governor said, adding that Gagauzia’s credit debts amount to 5.4 million lei, without the 6.7 million lei that is to be repaid from the 20 million lei loan provided for a water supply project. “The unit’s debts have been reduced by 32.4 million lei since 2007 and no new loan has been raised. In order to be able to repay the debts, the 13 Gagauz wine companies must have access to the Russian market. For the time being, the Government has not yet fulfilled its promise to unblock the export of nonbottled wine,” Formuzal said. He also said that though the financial situation in Gagauzia is difficult, as in the whole country, the local authorities have not undertaken social support projects.