Chisinau could enter next year with debts of 200m lei

The budget deficit of the municipality of Chisinau will be larger than projected. It could amount to 400 million lei, the Finance Division's head Maria Caraus said, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. At Monday's meeting of the municipal services and divisions, she said that one of the causes is the non-payment of taxes by the economic entities. According to Maria Caraus, the municipality could enter the next year with debts of 150 - 200 million lei and this will affect the 2010 municipal budget. She considers that the use of money must be optimized so as to reduce this sum. "It is not yet known if we will manage to settle the debt of 95 million lei to SA Termocom. The Public Transport and Communications Division could remain without the 10 million lei earmarked for the repair of roads as the money will go to cover the budget deficit,” Maria Caraus said. Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca instructed the relevant divisions to identify possibilities of optimizing the use of the financial resources. He voiced hope that the reforms under implementation will enable to save money. Economic entities' debts to the municipal budget on September 1, 2009 were 72 million lei.