Democratic Party urges write-off of overdue utility bills for the underprivileged

The Democratic Party from Moldova (PDM) shows concern for the social-economic situation of the country. Some of its leaders told a news conference at Info-Prim Neo that the parliamentary commission for social protection, health and family was considering a draft law providing for canceling the public utility debts of some social categories as of January 1, 2009. The draft provides for annulling the debts of retirees, disabled and unemployed for heating, water and hot water supply, and natural gas. The committee chairwoman and PD deputy president, Valentina Buliga, says a large segment of people are insolvent, because of the rampaging growth of prices as related to the modest incomes of retirees and peasants. About 37,000 households have incurred debts for heating totaling 413 million lei, as 9,000 households owe about 9 million lei for water and sewer. “All this amounts to huge sums and we regret that neither the suppliers nor the central and local authorities have developed a consistent data base as to the number of debtors and the categories they are part of,” she said. According to the draft's author, Igor Klipii, another vice president of PDM, such a draft law was developed back in 2000 by the Communists faction, then in opposition. Although it had not been accepted, it had neither been categorically rejected by the Government, which had invoked to short a term to be implemented. The parliamentarian says he has updated the draft, adding the unemployed and people from rural areas and small towns to the list. The new draft also proposes solutions to make up for the amounts of debts to be annulled. In Igor Klipii's opinion, they could be covered from the Government's fund, formed from the $4 tax the consumers pay for every 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas consumed. The PDM MPs remind that recently the Parliament and the Government have taken a range of steps to legalize capital by exempting companies from paying taxes. Another vice president of PDM, Valentina Stratan, remarks that in this situation it is necessary to take similar safeguarding measures as to the impoverished people. The deputy warns the huge debts can affect not only the debtors, but also the disciplined consumers, who run the risk to get disconnected from heating or the gas pipe. At the same news conference, the PDM leadership expressed concern with the rampaging price growth, with the latest data about the existence minimum and its relation with salaries, pensions and indemnities offered by the state to the people, with the migration of the active population abroad, etc.