Premier invites Chisinau Mayor to Government

The Mayor General of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca was invited by the Prime Minister for a meeting. Vasile Tarlev told Info-Prim Neo on September 5 that he was not asked by the local authorities to cover the heat charges from the state budget and that he is expecting the mayor to come personally to the Government if he really wants to solve the problem. According to the Premier, only through declarations at the City Hall’s meetings, Dorin Chirtoaca will not obtain the support of the central authorities in solving the municipality’s problems. At the same time, Tarlev said that the Government is ready to examine all the proposals of the local administration, but will allocate resources depending on the possibilities of the state budget, which, according to him, is not ‘infinite’. Asked if the Government will support financially the disadvantaged population if the heat and water charges are increased, Vasile Tarlev said that it could provide compensations as in the case of electric power charges. The Premier specified that the Government cannot intervene to influence the decisions taken by the City Hall or the National Agency for Energy Regulation. The new administration of Chisinau inherited a debt of 151 mln lei to “Termocom” JSC, though the local budget for this year does not include resources to cover these expenses. Dorin Chirtoaca said more than once that when it was decided to cover the difference in the increased and old heat charges for the population, decision voted by the previous mostly communist composition of the Chisinau Municipal Council, there was a verbal agreement that the central authorities would cover 50% of these expenses. The mayor says that he personally made requests to the Government, but received no answer so far. However, it is the duty of the Government not of the City Hall to socially protect the population.