“I realize that policy is made… under all circumstances,” the prime minister said during today’s cabinet meeting. – But… we in the government are constantly looking for solutions. Let’s discuss possible measures together. We are open to suggestions and we will continue to look for solutions”. And he advised those who “make appeals or shoot TikTok in front of the government building” to “propose concrete solutions rather than make populist statements.”
“This is not the time to provoke each other.”
“We are working with the mayoralties as well,” Alexandru Munteanu continued. – Our mayoralties want more autonomy, but autonomy also means responsibility, including during crises. Therefore, we need to work as a team. I repeat once again that our message is consolidation. This is not the time to provoke each other.
Prime Minister’s reaction followed the statements of economists, politicians and mayors about the need to take measures in connection with the rapid rise in prices. Thus, economist Veaceslav Ionitsa said that “the oil market is entering a new wave of price hikes, and the consequences will be directly felt by carriers, agrarians and, ultimately, consumers through the growth of costs in the economy”.
Ion Chicu, former prime minister and MP, said that “after summing up all the taxes, the state budget receives about 11 lei from each liter of gasoline”. Therefore, he believes that the government has the opportunity to intervene to mitigate the effects of price increases, especially in the case of diesel fuel used in agriculture.
Mayors: real responses are needed
Yesterday, the mayors of the two capitals, Chisinau and Balti, Ion Ceban and Alexandru Petcov, appealed to the government not to ignore the situation and to take measures to equalize it.
Ion Ceban lamented that “the government does nothing when the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel rise. They only inform us about it on a daily basis, while other countries take radical measures for citizens.” He called on the central government to “find solutions to stop the rapid price increases because “the municipality is already feeling the effects of this situation.”
According to Alexandru Petkov, who sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, the consequences of the fuel crisis can seriously affect local budgets and infrastructure projects. Localities risk being left alone with the problem. And they are not able to “cope with such a situation without the support of the center”.
“If clear and prompt decisions are not taken soon at the level of central authorities, the consequences for local budgets could become extremely serious,” the mayor said in his address and called on the government to “urgently present real response measures.”
