Compensation for household heating bills during the upcoming cold season is expected to be financed mainly from Moldova’s state budget, as securing financial support from external donors becomes increasingly difficult. Minister of Labour and Social Protection Natalia Plugaru said foreign partners believe Moldova should now finance its compensation program on its own.
“The message is that you should already be paying for it yourselves from the state budget. We helped you at the beginning; it’s time for you to finance this from the budget,” Natalia Plugaru said during the “La 360 de grade” program on Radio Moldova.
The minister said authorities are continuing discussions with the governments of several countries, but there are currently no confirmations of new financial contributions from donors.
Against this backdrop, the government is assessing how to maintain the number of households eligible for compensation during the new heating season. According to Plugaru, several scenarios were discussed with Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, including the impact of a potential reduction in the number of eligible households.
“I think we will reach a compromise, a consensus, so that this decrease will not be felt and, at the very least, we will maintain the same number of households. If the number changes, it should not decrease significantly,” the minister said.
The compensation program represents a significant expense for the state budget. Last year, during the five months of the cold season, the government spent 2.4 billion lei on the program, with the entire amount covered by the state budget.
This year, 550 million lei has so far been allocated to the compensation program. The minister said authorities are seeking to ensure that support reaches households with the greatest need first.