A part of the measures defined by the law for which the Government assumed responsibility on April 2, which was suspended by the Constitutional Court, were adopted by the Commission for Exceptional Situations, Prime Minister Ion Chicu announced, saying the decision was taken amid uncertainty as to the fate of this law, given that the challenges over it are to be examined not earlier than April 13, IPN reports.
The Commission decided to set the lowest unemployment benefit at 2,775 lei, as the law suspended by the Court provides. This benefit will be paid to all the unemployed persons, even to those who didn’t pay contributions into the budget earlier. The minimum guaranteed income used to calculate the social benefit was raised from 1,107 lei to 1,300 lei.
Among other adopted measures are the subsidization of the costs associated with the payment of salaries incurred by employers and exemption of patent holders who cannot work because of the restrictions imposed owing to the epidemiological situation from paying the cost of patent. The companies that stopped work under the Commission’s decision are allowed to pay local taxes by July 25. Premier Chicu said all these measures are valid only for the duration of the state of emergency.
The official also said that the legal approach didn’t allow introducing the reduction of the VAT rate for the hospitality industry from 20% to 15% in the decision as the effect of this action goes beyond the period of the state of emergency.
By its April 9 judgment, the Constitutional Court suspended the law adopted by the Government by assuming responsibility for it bypassing Parliament on April 2, based on a challenge submitted by PPPDA MP Dinu Plîngău. It is to pronounce on the constitutionality of the Law on April 13 following challenges filed by MPs of the DA Platform, the PAS and the Pro Moldova group and independent MP Alexandr Oleinic.
