Parliamentary faction accuses governing of destroying agriculture, demands sustenance and development of this sector

The parliamentary faction representing the Our Moldova Alliance (AMN) accuses the acting government of deliberately destroying the agriculture and demands it to take actions aimed to sustain and develop this sector. AMN lawmaker Valeriu Cosarciuc made public a statement in this regard on March 10. According to the statement, AMN asked lawmakers in 2005 and at the spring-summer session this year to join their efforts in order to identify efficient solutions to the continued crisis in the agriculture sector. However, this appeal was neglected and the lots of decisions in the area represent what AMN describes as „diversions staged in the past five years to worsen the state of things.” Cosarciuc named among them the introduction of the 20-percent VAT for agricultural production and hardware, for all material resources which are very expensive without them; two-fold rise of prices of fuels in 2005, which withdrew about 800 million lei from financial circuit in agriculture sector; reduction of subsidies for sustenance of high added-value branches (sugar beet, vegetables and livestock) and introduction of a had and uncertain VAT repayment mechanism; implementation of hidden policy of support of the so-called agricultural production cooperatives only, which generate nig losses and whose existence is not in concordance with principles of market economy. Instead of supporting domestic producers to create new jobs by attracting foreign investments and new technologies, instead of increasing the national subsidies, the communist governance demonstrates its hatred for farmers one more time, the goal to seize their property by force through the 2006 fiscal policy, and this repeats the perfidious crimes of totalitarian communist regime, according to the statement of AMN. „Such a mocking attitude of the state, which makes farmers work for loss, cannot be tolerated anymore.” Under these conditions, AMN asked the government to take some urgent actions including exemption from land tax and contributions to the state social fund of agricultural fields for a five-year term; to prolong the term of 5-percent VAT for phytotechny and horticulture production in kind and livestock production in kind until 2011; exemption of pesticides and fertilisers, agricultural hardware and spare parts imported for agriculture from VAT; creation of an intervention fund for cereals; elaboration and adoption of a consistent subsidising programme for agricultural producers, etc. Eugenia Ostapciuc, leader of the Communist parliamentary faction, asked the permit to reply to the AMN statement at the next sitting of the parliament.