The Ombudsman’s Office is asking the Government to provide additional measures for population support and special mechanisms for vulnerable groups to offset growing utility costs and consumer prices, including food prices, so as to avoid a deepening of poverty and social exclusion of such groups of people, it said in a statement.

The Office welcomes the compensatory instruments adopted recently, but says they don’t adequately cover the needs of low-income groups.

“Article 47 of the Moldovan Constitution says that the state is obligated to take measures to ensure that every person has a decent standard of living, which ensures the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing, health care and social services”, reads the statement.

The Office notes that the rate of absolute poverty remains high in Moldova (25% in 2019), while about 11% of the population live in extreme poverty. Most people with disabilities and recipients of social benefits suffer from extreme poverty. “The quality of life of families with many children, single-parent families and/or families with children with disabilities is a matter of concern in the context of rising utility costs and consumer prices.”

“While increased, the value of social benefits largely does not cover the subsistence level, which, although revised annually, does not take into account the real needs of the population by age groups and their specific needs, social status and other criteria”, the Ombudsman’s Office warns.