The new head of the Chisinau Municipal Council’s General Finance Division Maria Caraus warns that if the budgets of the first and second level local authorities are not approved by December 31, the Ministry of Finance could block the deductions from the general state revenues and the transfers to the municipal budget. At Monday’s meeting of the City Hall, Maria Caraus said that this fact will endanger the payment of salaries for December. The municipal coalition failed several times to approve the Chisinau budget in first reading as the municipal councillors could not reach an agreement over the incomes and vital expenditure of the municipality planned for next year. The draft municipal budget for 2008 provides for incomes of 1.344 billion lei and expenditure of 1.37 billion lei. According to the General Finance Division, the deficit will be covered from the money obtained from privatisation. The list of objects that will be privatised has not been drawn up yet. The deadline for approving the budget is December 10. The new head of the General Finance Division was presented by the Mayor General Dorin Chirtoaca. Earlier, Maria Caraus was head of the municipal treasury. Until present, the General Finance Division was headed by Valentina Vazdautan on an interim basis. Maria Caraus assured that she will work in compliance with the legislation and within her area of competence and duties. She also pledged to ensure transparency in using the financial resources, according to the destination and in a responsible way.