Parliament cuts national energy regulator's budget

The Parliament approved the budget of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) for 2010. It will be 16.3 million lei, as against 17.8 million lei planned initially. MP Veaceslav Ionita, the chairman of the commission for economy, budget and finance, said the budget was reduced by decreasing the Agency's current expenses, including the salary-related costs, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Parliament examined the ANRE's budget on February 19, but then the faction of the Communists Party boycotted its approval, expressing their indignation at the very high salaries of the Agency's directors and at its request to increase the budget. “The ANRE did not say what salaries the directors of the Administration Board will be paid now that the budget was cut. The Parliament cannot oblige the Agency to reduce the salaries, but only suggest that they should be reviewed. The ANRE is to make the salaries public,” Veaceslav Ionita said. The Communist faction had left again the assembly hall before the ANRE's budget was put to the vote. It was a protest against Speaker Mihai Ghimpu's refusal to allow Communist MPs to make a statement on the issue. A sum of 7 million lei of the ANRE's budget will go on salaries. The new director general of the Agency Victor Parlicov receives a salary of 19,700 lei.