Owners of small enterprises with personnel up to 9 employees and those of the agricultural units will pay a minimum wage of MDL 500 monthly for the first wage category comparing with MDL 360 the monthly wage until now. At the same time, the employees of other areas of the national economy will receive a tariff salary of MDL 700 comparing to MDL 550 paid until now. This decision was approved by the Cabinet Council on Wednesday, July 26. The quantum of the tariff salary for the first wage category in the non-budgetary area was also approved by the National Commission for Consultations and Collective Negotiations Government- Trade Unions-Patronage on June 26. According to the deputy minister of Economy and Commerce, Sergiu Sainciuc, quoted by Info-Prim Neo, the new quantum of the tariff salary will be implemented starting July 1, but employers will benefit from a vacation until September 1 so that the new quantum could be implemented gradually, depending on the available financial resources. The tariff salary is settled at national level and is compulsory for all areas of the real sector of the national economy. Also the legislation in force stipulates that the quantum for economy areas is negotiated mutually and is settled higher, not lower than the level for the national economy. At present a quantum lower than the tariff salary is settled for the construction sector and it is necessary to negotiate together with the social partners of the area and afterwards settle a higher quantum of the tariff salary, Sainciuc said. 2/3 of the employees of the national economy are working in the real sector, a figure equal to over 860 thousand persons. The tariff salary for the first wage category of the budgetary sector increased by MDL 200, being settled at MDL 400.