Chisinau's debt to Termocom not to be paid off soon

The debt of 96 million lei the Chisinau municipality owes the heat supplier Termocom will not be paid off at least till the beginning of July. The announcement was made by Finance Division Head Maria Caraus at the city hall's staff meeting on Monday, Info-Prim Neo reports. Caraus has said the approaching period will be very difficult. The money to be poured into the capital's budget will be used for salaries and vacation payments. Earlier this year, the Chisinau city hall and the heat supplier signed a schedule of paying the debt in stages. “At the time when the schedule was signed, the budget incomes were 100%, but they started to fall since February. Thus, as many as 109 million lei did not reach the budget,” Maria Caraus specified. The shrinking inflows are explained by the fact that many companies pay their employees “in envelopes” and send them on forced leaves, without remuneration. By May 1, the Chisinau companies owed 50 million lei to the municipal budget, Maria Caraus said. Termocom has got about 100 million lei from the municipal budget up to now, including 43 million for making up for the tariff difference, 41 million for heating and 12.5 million for the compensations the municipality provides to the poor. The running expenses are neither fully payed up: only 74%, Maria Caraus said. Chisinau's mayor Dorin Chirtoaca predicted meetings with Termocom's officials to reach agreements.