Government to work out a calendar for gradual payment of the increases provided for in Law on wage payment

The government is willing to work out a calendar, according to which it would gradually implement, along the year, the stipulations of the Law on wage payment, providing for the increase in the wage in the budgetary sector. Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev requested that the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and the Ministry of Finances re-examine the financial possibilities of the budget and work out an action plan, including a calendar of wage raises. According to him, if the pace of national economic growth is maintained and Moldova benefits from financial resources promised by foreign donors, the positive premises would be created for resuming the wage raisings according to a calendar. The Government’s action plan will be consulted with the social partners, including syndicates. Vasile Tarlev mentioned that the suspension by the Parliament of additional allocations of budgetary sources at the beginning of the year has been caused by the consequences of the wine embargo, imposed by the Russian Federation, and the negative impact on the national economy of the increase of price for natural gas. Earlier, the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Igor Dodon, stated that starting with January 2007, the provisions of the Law on wage payment, stipulating the increase by 10 to 15% of the wages, will not be implemented, because a deficit of about MDL 800 mln in this sense. According to the National Statistics Bureau, wages increased by 29% in 2006, including 40 % in the budgetary sector and 20% in the real sector of the economy. In January-October 2006, the average wage per month of an employee of the Moldovan economy (enterprises with 20 and more employees) constituted MDL 1636.4 and has increased by 29% compared with the similar period of last year (the real wage went up by 15%). In the budgetary sector, the average wage totaled MDL 1420, in the real sector of the economy – MDL 1752.3 The average wage of an employee in October 2006 constituted MDL 1779.7, by 29% more compared with October 2005. In the budgetary field the average wage constituted MDL 1541.3, in the real sector – MDL 1906.7.