The project regarding the adjustment of the provisional budget of the municipality of Chisinau, as a result of the modification of the state budget indicators, did not gather the necessary number of votes at Tuesday’s municipal council meeting. The subject will be revisited at the next meeting, but will be presented in two separate projects: one for the salaries of teaching staff and another for expenses targeting the authorities and municipal enterprises, reports IPN.

The project was voted for by 24 councilors of Mayor Ion Ceban’s party – MAN – and unaffiliated councilors. The PSRM faction abstained, while the municipal elected officials of PAS were absent from the room.

Olesea Psenitchi, the head of the General Finance Directorate, emphasized, before the project was put to the vote, that without the additional transfers approved by Parliament to the State Budget Law, the municipality will not be able to pay the salaries in the entities funded from the municipal budget. Also, it is necessary to adjust the expenses for electricity in several institutions.

Alexandr Odintov, the leader of the socialists’ faction in the CMC, has requested the separation of salary expenses from other costs. He stated that the faction supports the adoption of a decision that guarantees the payment of teachers’ salaries in Chisinau, but has submitted an inquiry to the Ministry of Finance to clarify the legality of the changes made in a provisional budget.

The PAS faction, which notified the CNA on the same day about alleged abuses in managing the provisional budget of the capital, does not support the project, considering that the mayor is trying to justify additional expenses and puts pressure on the Municipal Council.