City Council will consider several methods for increasing block service taxes

The municipal councillors will discuss a number of methods for increasing the charges for servicing the blocks of flats in Chisinau at the meeting of December 20. The present charge is 0.19 lei a month for a square metre of used space. The draft decision proposes increasing the monthly charge to 2.10 lei for a square metre of used space for the people that live in privatised or non-privatised apartments in municipal or departmental blocks and dormitories. The proposed tax for overhauling the equipment is 12.08 lei yearly for a square metre of used space (1.01 lei a month). The draft decision also suggests fixing a rental of 0.20 lei a month for a square metre of used space for the persons that live in non-privatised apartments, apartments offered from the workplace and dormitories. A number of municipal divisions and specialised commissions of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) do not agree with this decision. The General Economy, Reform and Patrimonial Relations Division considers that these tariffs should be lower. The CMC commission for communal administration and ecology proposes two types of taxes –1.5 lei and 0.99 lei. Similar tariffs were suggested by the commission for budget, economy, finance, local public patrimony, suburbs and agriculture. The current tariff was fixed in 1997. The authorities consider that it is too low to permit maintaining adequate sanitation and the functionality of all the mains. The local authorities hope that the increased block service taxes will enable to raise the very low salaries of the personnel working in the area. Owing to the low salaries of about 500-600 lei, the number of employees is only 300 of the 2,500 necessary. The authorities plan to increase the salary for sanitation personnel up to 920 lei initially and up to 2,000 lei gradually.