The state budget for 2020 is the product of work of three governments, led by Pavel Filip, Maia Sandu and Ion Chicu. When statements about the budget deficit and the budget gap are made, one should use concrete figures, not general notions, stated Premier Ion Chicu.
In a video interview for IPN, the Premier said the process of working out a state budget lasts not for a week, a month or two. It is a process that lasts for at least a year and is started usually in December. In the case of the 2020 state budget, the process was launched in December 2018, where Ion Chicu served as secretary general of state and later minister. The current executive undertook to ensure 2020 is the year of massive investments in infrastructure. Besides, there is also the social component, the social initiatives included in the budget for next year.
The Premier noted an economic growth of almost 4% or even higher was projected for 2020. Under the public finances methodology, the investment component is part of the budget deficit. The main component is different. For 2020, this is 2.5bn lei, while for 2019 was 3.5bn lei. The investments represent the largest part of the 7.4bn lei state budget deficit for next year and these cannot affect the sustainability of the budget.
The Premier assured that Moldova will fulfill the conditions for receiving the installments of macro-financial assistance from the EU. In the last Cabinet meeting this year, a bill to amend the government procurement law with reference to utilities will be approved and this will be adopted by Parliament next February, when it returns from vacation. The initiative concerning the fighting of money laundering will also be approved at one of the first meetings next year. If these two conditions are met, the EU macro-financial assistance could be accessed and the main component of the deficit of 2.5bn lei will be thus covered.
The interview “Prime Minister Ion Chicu’s view about the state of affairs in Moldovan society at the intersection of years” forms part of the series. “Crossroads of years through the angle of the ideal of living better at home” that also involves President Igor Dodon and the leaders of the main parliamentary parties Andrei Năstase, Pavel Fillip and Maia Sandu.
