The Constitutional Court on December 11 endorsed the bill to amend and supplement the Constitution so as to enshrine the European course in it that was submitted by 36 MPs. The judges held that Moldova’s aspirations to establish political, economic and cultural relations in other areas of common interest with the European countries and the orientation to the European space of shared democratic values were stipulated in the state foundation act – the Declaration of Independence. The bill can be adopted after at least six months of the presentation of the Constitution amendment proposal.
The Supreme Court of Justice on December 12 rejected the annulment appeal in the case of ex-Premier Vlad Filat, which was submitted by the law firm “Popa and Associates” three months ago, as groundless and inadmissible. The decision was published on the Court’s website. The application was examined in the absence of the parties. Vlad Filat’s lawyer Igor Popa said it is regrettable that the Supreme Court of Justice rejected the appeal. But they will not stop here. Vlad Filat will seek justice at the European Court of Human Rights.
Businessman Veaceslav Platon was sentenced to another 12 years behind bars in the second criminal case started against him over active corruption and swindle attempt. The court also obliged the culprit to pay a fine of 300,000 lei. Thus, Veaceslav Platon could serve a total of 30 years in jail as he got 18 years in another case earlier. The sentence was pronounced on December 12 in the absence of Platon. Veaceslav Platon was arrested in July 2016 on charges of swindle and money laundering that caused over 800 million lei damage to Banca de Economii. At the end of this April, the businessman was sentenced to 18 years in jail and was obliged to pay 869 million lei damages.
The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce decided in favor of Moldova in the dispute with the firms Evrobalt and Kompozit. The claimants are to pay Moldova almost €1 million, including court costs. The announcement was made by the secretary general of the Ministry of Justice Anatolie Munteanu in the weekly press briefing at the Ministry on December 13. At the Arbitration Institute of Stockholm Moldova was represented by the law firm “Gurian and partners” and an international company of experts. The suit was filed by the firms Evrobalt and Kompozit, which claimed that they made an investment in a bank in Chisinau. The National Bank of Moldova established that the firms acted concertedly with other shareholders and obliged the shareholders to sell their shares.
Bogdan Zumbreanu will head the National Anticorruption Center (NAC). The current head of the NAC General Prosecution Division was confirmed to post by Parliament on December 15. He was proposed by the Parliaments’ expert commission that staged a public content to fill the post. The post of NAC director fell vacant after the term in office of Viorel Chetraru expired on October 25 this year. The term is of five years and reelection is excluded. Bogdan Zumbreanu took an oath in Parliament. He said that even if the NAC is not empowered to formulate legislative proposals, he will soon submit a number of proposals for transforming the Center into an institution that would meet the expectations.
The legislative body on December 15 ratified the grant and loan agreements with the European Union for the provision of €100m in macro-financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova, specifically €60 million is loans, while €40 million in the form of grants. The money will be disbursed in three equal installments, depending on the progress made in implementing the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the International Monetary Fund and the conditions agreed by Moldova and the EU. The loans will be repayable in 15 years. The interest rate will be set for each installment apart and will depend on the fluctuations on the European banking market.
Parliament on December 15 passed a bill to amend the Law on Drugstores and lift a number of restrictions on the opening of pharmacies by 69 votes in favor. The bill modifies Article 19 of the law. Paragraph 4 that is removed provides that the newly founded drugstores will be placed at a distance of at least 250 meters of an existent pharmacy and at a distance of at least 500 meters of an existent drugstore that sells and also prepares medicines. In the previous version of the law, there were stipulated demographic norms for opening drugstores. Thus, a pharmacy could be founded for 3,000 to 4,000 inhabitants. This provision was also eliminated, as was the provision concerning the founding of drugstores in accordance with the National Pharmacy Location Plan.
The MPs on December 15 adopted the 2018 state budget law in the final reading. The budget provides for revenues of 36.6 billion lei, an increase of 8.4% on this year, and for an expenditure of 41.3 billion lei, up 9.4%. The budget deficit is of 4.7 billion lei. The same day, the MPs also passed the fiscal and customs policy for 2018 in the final reading.
The legislative body on December 15 passed the state social insurance budget law and the mandatory health insurance funds law for 2018 in the final reading. The revenues of the state social insurance budget next year will total 19.247 billion lei, 34.8% of which will be transfers from the state budget. The state social insurance contributions were planned at 12.546 billion lei. The state social insurance contribution remained at the level of 29%, of which 23% is paid by employers and 6% by employees. The revenues and expenditure of the mandatory health insurance funds for next year were projected at 6.659 billion lei each. The mandatory health insurance premium in the form of percentage contribution paid from the salary and other recompenses remained at the level of 9%, which is 4.5% for employers and as much for employees. The premium in fixed sum also remained at this year’s level of 4,056 lei. The 50% reduction if the health policy is purchased by April 1 was kept. The reduction for farmland owners is of 75%.
Selection by Maria Procopciuc
