Soviet-type passports will be replaced by Sept. 2014

The deadline for finishing the process of substituting the Soviet-type passports by identity cards is September 1, 2014. This date was proposed by the working group created following an order made by the Premier, Info-Prim Neo reports. ICT Minister Pavel Filip informed that the replacement of the Soviet-type passport will cost over 30 million lei. The money is to be allocated from the state budget. The invalids and persons confined to bed will be provided with identity cards by a mobile team of the state-run company “Registru”, in cooperation with the Civil Status Service and social assistants. The working group proposed that the persons should be exempted from paying the state tax for being issued with identity card, while the Health Ministry should issue certificates concerning the blood group free of charge. As most of the holders of Soviet-type passports are persons older than 70 and this document for them has a personal significance, Pavel Filip suggested examining the possibility of leaving the old passports to the holders, after piercing them. In Moldova there are over 235,000 persons who hold Soviet-type passports, more than 6,000 of whom live in Transnistria.