Municipal budget for 2012 approved in first reading

The Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) Tuesday approved the municipal budget for 2012 in first reading. The Communist councilors abstained from voting, Info-Prim Neo reports. The head of the Finance Division Veronica Herta said the revenues total 2.39 billion lei, by almost half a billion more than in 2011. The expenditure is 2.61 billion lei, up 300 million lei or 13% on last year. The deficit is 212.9 million lei. The deficit will be financed from the incomes planned to be obtained from the sale and privatization of public property and from foreign financing. Veronica Herta said the budget is a social one. The social spending represents 54.2% of the expenditure. Most of the money will be spent on education, culture, health protection, insurance and social support. The economic expenses account for 16.6%, 8% up. This money will be mainly spent on transport and road management, public utilities and housing stock management. The spending per capita in 2012 will be €165. The Communist faction criticized the draft budget. Communist councilor Vitalie Sacara said the 2012 budget must be social, but there was earmarked insufficient money for education, healthcare, social services, culture, dwellings, transport, development and maintenance of infrastructure. He proposed that the social expenses should be increased by 250 million lei. The councilor also said that the city has large debts owing to loans as the interest rate is very high. According to him, the executive power and mayor Dorin Chirtoaca inefficiently manage the municipality of Chisinau. The 2012 budget was passed in first reading by the votes of 17 Liberal councilors, seven Liberal-Democratic councilors, one Democratic councilor and two Socialist councilors.