Moldova's minimum wage set for hike; PAS deputy Belous confirms
The national minimum wage in the Republic of Moldova is set for a significant increase. An official announcement is expected before the end of the current month, according to Victoria Belous, a deputy from the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) and the former Minister of Finance.
She shared the information during the show PE FAȚĂ on Moldova1. Authorities are diligently finalizing calculations to precisely determine the budgetary impact of this crucial measure.
Belous confirmed the government's commitment: "Yes, the national minimum wage will be increased. Colleagues at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection are conducting calculations together with the Ministry of Finance — assessing the total value of this increase and its impact on the budget. I believe an announcement will likely be made by the end of the month. The minimum wage must be increased, and it surely will be."
The deputy stressed that current salary levels are not keeping pace with the population's needs. "In my opinion, it is insufficient. Our actions are focused on ensuring people have higher incomes, and, consequently, the necessity to increase the minimum wage is indisputable," she asserted.
Focus on public sector wage reform
Beyond the minimum wage, Belous also addressed the comprehensive public sector wage reform aimed at reviewing the regulatory framework in the state sector. She explained that the main goal is to correct long-standing wage imbalances across the public service.
"At the beginning of this year, we established a working group under the Ministry of Finance, including representatives from all authorities affected by Law 270," the former Minister of Finance detailed. "The group completed the evaluation and grading of posts in early October. The team responsible is now simulating calculations for potential increases, estimating the associated budgetary impact and the total cost of the reform itself."
She concluded by justifying the priority of the reform: "The priority of this working group is to propose and justify increases to achieve better equilibrium. We concluded that the wage gap between an accountant in a public authority and the minimum wage is very narrow, despite the much higher responsibility and involvement required of the accountant."
For context, starting January 1, 2025, the monthly minimum wage in the Republic of Moldova stands at 5,500 Lei (MDL) for a full-time schedule of 169 hours per month.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
