Chicu: Tens of Thousands of People Can Be Left without Work

The government will not resort to raising taxes and will provide predictable business conditions. This was announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Ion Chicu during an on-line meeting of the Economic Council, infotag.md reports. Chicu admitted that due to the pandemic crisis many enterprises were under threat of closure and tens of thousands of people could be left without work. According to him, in order to overcome the crisis, the executive branch expects to reduce consumption and investment by about 15.4 billion lei in the second quarter and by 27.8 billion lei throughout 2020. GDP is projected to decrease in the EU by 2%, and in Moldova by 6.3%. The parties discussed the expediency of supporting the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the Republic of Moldova. The government is ready to support the industry, which can supply the Moldovan market with PPE, and after satisfying domestic needs, it will establish exports. At the meeting, an agreement was reached to gradually remove restrictions and prepare to resume economic activity. Authorities are working with associations to develop procedures of actions during public health emergencies. It is proposed to amend the Labor Code to ensure that jobs are retained and mass layoffs are prevented. "The government will focus on paying state employees on time, as well as pensions and benefits. Thus, the state’s functionality will be preserved and a decisive contribution will be made to support consumption," Chicu emphasized.