The Parliament of Moldova adopted in the first reading amendments to the Law on the state budget for 2022, reducing its deficit by 11% to 17.25 billion lei.
In particular, the draft law, approved by the deputies during an extraordinary session on Friday, provides for an increase in the budget revenue for this year by 5 billion 269.8 million lei (+ 10%) - from 52 billion 701 million 472 thousand to 57 billion 971 million 321.6 thousand lei, an increase in expenditure by 3 billion 128.8 million lei (+4.3%) - from 72 billion 087 million 472 thousand to 75 billion 216 million 321.6 thousand lei, as well as a decrease in the state budget deficit by 2 billion 141 million lei (-11%) - from 19 billion 386 million to 17 billion 245 million lei (6.2% of GDP). The state budget deficit should be covered from both internal and external sources. As Minister of Finance Dumitru Budianschi noted, the current amendments to the Law on the State Budget for 2022 were necessary for the adoption of urgent legislative measures to support the population, state institutions and economic agents in the context of a number of crises generated by the war in Ukraine. The budgetary parameters have also been brought into line with updated estimates of the main macroeconomic indicators for the current year. The new parameters of the state budget for 2022 were agreed with the IMF Mission. State budget revenues for the current year are increasing, mainly due to the growth of taxes and fees, as well as grants. The largest increase in expenditures falls on the areas of social protection (provision of one-time financial support to recipients of all types of state pensions / social benefits, the monthly amount of which does not exceed 5,000 lei, an increase in the amount of assistance during the cold season), public services of general purpose (management of the energy crisis, refugee crisis, allowances to provide a lump sum to support certain workers within budgetary institutions), services in the field of economy (Road Fund, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, agricultural equipment modernization project). “The proposed measures are designed to protect citizens from numerous crises and inflation, to help them overcome current difficulties more easily. We stand in solidarity with families, with pensioners, with workers, with entrepreneurs, with all citizens. In 2023, we will receive even more support. And if there was peace in the region, much more could be achieved,” said Valentina Manic, deputy member of the commission on economy, budget and finance. Amendments to the Law on the State Budget for 2022 will be considered in the second reading on September 8. // 26.08.2022 — InfoMarket.
