The Chisinau councilors of the Party of Socialists requested that the 2017 draft municipal budget should be examined within commissions this week so that it could be debated by the Municipal Council next week, IPN reports.

Councilor Petru Burduja told a news conference that the public procurement for 2017 is compromised because the municipal budget hasn’t been yet approved. The taxes for this year weren’t agreed either.

Councilor Eugenia Ceban said it is suitable for the mayor not to have an agreed budget as he can allocate money as he wants by orders. In the absence of a budget, tender contests cannot be staged to choose contractors to carry out repair works in schools and kindergartens. There is a risk that the repair works will be performed during the school year, as last year.  

The Chisinau Municipal Council voted the municipal budget for 2017 in the first reading on February 9. This provides for revenues of 3.2 billion lei and a total expenditure of 3.6 billion lei. Last year the budget was approved in July.