New procedures for calculating and paying allowances for temporary incapacity for work will be applied as of July 1, 2019. Under the new regulations, the employer will determine and pay from own resources the allowance for temporary incapacity for work caused by ordinary diseases or accidents not related to work for the first five calendar days of temporary incapacity for work, but for not more than 15 days cumulatively during a calendar year if an employee has several periods of temporary incapacity for work.

The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Parliament of Romania adopted a declaration of support for the new Government of Moldova headed by Maia Sandu. By this statement, Romania reiterates and strengthens its support for Moldova’s European aspirations and expects the Government of Moldova to make a firm commitment for continuing the European course by implementing the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU that can fortify and develop the democratic construct in Chisinau and can bring the Republic of Moldova closer to the EU. The same document requests the Government of Romania to step up the efforts to fully restore the cooperation relations between Moldova and the EU and to mobilize all the support measures, including the financial ones, for assisting the Moldovan Government in the reform process and in implementing the political and association agenda with the EU.

Fare rates for bus and minibus services must be reviewed, says Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Vadim Brînzan. He told a press conference that the current fare rates have been artificially kept at the 2013 level, and this has prevented carriers from investing in newer and therefore safer vehicles. Last time rates were increased by 0.1 leu/km in 2012. At present, the average rate is 0.48 leu/km.

According to Vadim Brînzan, the Transportation Code also needs to be changed. He argued that it was designed to accommodate the interests of small-scale carriers. “This system is absolutely obscure and difficult to understand. A system flooded with a very large number of small operators on the market”. The natural gas tariff has also been maintained artificially. “The problem of tariffs existed in 2018 too, but was artificially controlled owing to the then politics,” stated the minister.

Nicolae Chitoroagă vacated the post of chief of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases. “The causes for the resignation are related to the pressure that has been exerted on me and on the institution I head during the past few days…” stated Nicolae Chitoroagă.

The term in office of Vitalie Vrabie as director of Customs Service has ended, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the Service. Vitalie Vrabie was named head of the Customs Service in March 2016 by an order of the then Minister of Finance Octavian Armașu.

The former leader of Democratic Party Vlad Plahotniuc says the drug trafficking charges brought against him in Russia represent one of the threats against him and his family, calling them “fantasies”. He noted Moscow is also putting pressure on Moldova to “fabricate proceedings after proceedings” against him, and that many are forced to “give false testimony” in order to intimidate him.

Socialist MP Bogdan Țîrdea said that after it will analyze the anti-constitutional putsch attempt and the actions on which this was based, the parliamentary commission of inquiry will have to go to court and ask for an appropriate juridical, not political appraisal of the activity of the Constitutional Court judges. He stated the High Court played a key role in the attempted coup as it created the resistance mechanism. The MP noted the whole judicial system should be reformed for it to become independent. “The prosecutor general is now named by the Council of Prosecutors who chooses a persons responsible for the system from among prosecutors. The Council of Prosecutors and the Superior Council Magistracy should be cleaned up before allowing them to field by a judge for service in the Constitutional Court,” stated Bogdan Țîrdea.

Ion Guzun, adviser at the Legal Resources Center of Moldova, said it was a surprise for him to see Prime Minister Maia Sandu delivering a speech at the meeting of the Supreme Council of Magistracy. This speech represents communication with the judiciary system, which is something necessary. “I hope a lot that this was a start of communication between the executive power and the judicial one,” stated the adviser. He also voiced hope that the appointments will be based on merit only. “These appointments, promotions or dismissals should be based on the legislation and should inspire confidence in society and the foreign partners regardless of the process,” noted Ion Guzun.

Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Vadim Brînzan had a meeting recently with representatives of the consortium, and all expressed their openness to dialog with a view to making the process of awarding citizenship more transparent. The program has been paused for now, as Parliament passed a bill on first reading to annul it. In its current form, says Vadim Brînzan, the scheme poses risks related to the structure of financial transactions. Also, according to the minister, “there is a sense of obscurity”, as the final beneficiaries of the consortium remain unknown. Further, the ten local operators that issue documents for applicants need to be checked as well.

Details on IPN!