President Igor Dodon signed a memorandum of cooperation between Moldova and the Eurasian Economic Commission in Chisinau on April 3. The Head of State said the document does not run counter to other agreements signed by the Republic of Moldova so far. He also signed a letter addressed to the administration of the Eurasian Union, asking that Moldova should be given the status of observer to this organization. The request will be examined in Bishkek on April 14.
On April 5, Valeriu Triboi, who is investigated for abuse of power, was discharged from the post of deputy minister of economy. Even if prosecutors requested the Prime Minister to fire the functionary, Valeriu Triboi was dismissed based on his resignation. The functionary is accused of abusing his position when he purchased a building to the value of almost 1 million lei from the joint stock company “Moltelecom”, which was founded by the Ministry of Economy, through the agency of third persons. He later leased out the building to the company “Furnizarea Energiei Electrice Nord” for a ten-year period.
A large-scale protest was mounted by teachers in Chisinau on April 5. According to estimates of education trade unions, the protest involved over 10,000 employees of the education and science sectors. Earlier they insisted on a rise of at least 50% in pays, but now the teachers agree to a 30% increase. If the pays are not raised, the teachers are ready to go on strike before the final exams.
On April 5, President Igor Dodon signed two legislative initiatives. One of them refers to inheritance taxes, while the other one to the capping of salaries of managers of state-owned companies and regulatory institutions. Igor Dodon suggests that the taxes for authenticating wills and issuing legal heir certificates as well as for related notary services should not exceed 1,000 lei. As to the second legislative initiative, Igor Dodon said it is inadmissible to pay unjustified salaries of several ten thousand lei a month in Moldova where about 1 million people live at the poverty line.
On April 6, deputy head of Chisinau’s Buiucani district Vasile Mistreanu was arrested on corruption charges. He is suspected of asking 20,000 lei from a businessman for helping him solve a problem. The functionary said he has influence on specialists of the Buiucani district head’s office and can persuade them to authorize the setting up of a metallic fence for separating the area owned by the businessman from the public road. The functionary faces up to six years behind bars. On April 7, Vasile Mistreanu was placed under house arrest for 30 days.
On April 6, Tudor Copaci was appointed director general of the National Agency for Energy Regulation for a six-year term. The legislative initiative put forward by Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu was supported by most of the attending MPs.
On April 7, the new adjustments made to the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program of Moldova to match the European one came into force. There was approved a new AEO authorization model. The adjustments were made in accordance with the commitments undertaken by the Association Agreement with the EU. The new changes create the conditions needed for promoting the implementation of the system of reciprocal recognition of authorized economic operators of Moldova and the EU.
Selection by Alina Marin, IPN
