The Moldovan government is providing support to businesses affected by the crisis, covering part of the salaries of workers transferred to a reduced regime.
This was announced by the Cabinet of Ministers, noting that enterprises that reduce the schedule of their activities due to the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine or other emergencies can use government assistance. This support was introduced for the first time in November 2021. Thus, 50% of the wages of workers who worked in a reduced mode were provided from the state budget. “It's like a breath of fresh air when cash flow is at zero,” said a manager from one of the beneficiary companies. In particular, Cricova-Vin employs 270 employees, most of whom are employed in the tourism department - these are guides who speak several languages and organize excursions, cooks in a restaurant that works only for tourists, waiters, drivers of vehicles that are used for excursions in wine cellars, etc. In the first half of 2022, when the war began in Ukraine, the flow of tourists decreased significantly. Employees of the Department of Tourism were transferred to a reduced work schedule. “Personnel is the most important component in a company. Therefore, it was necessary to save the team,” said Alexandru Alexeev, director of Cricova-Vin, a subsidiary of the Cricova Winery. The company applied twice and received assistance from the state in 2022 in order to be able to pay 187 workers who were transferred to a reduced work schedule. “Thus, we kept the team and, most importantly, were able to resume activities when the flow of tourists increased,” Alexandru Alexeev emphasized. In accordance with the government decree of November 10, 2021, a reduced regime can be established for up to 3 consecutive months, but not more than 5 months a year. In 2022, 3 economic agents applied for such assistance: Cvin-Com (Ialoveni), Moldagrotehnica (Balti) and Cricova-Vin. “For the first time, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has established such a mechanism for subsidizing employers who establish a reduced work schedule for economic reasons or as a result of the introduction of a state of emergency. In order for an economic entity to retain its employees during a period when the enterprise has less workload, the state provides support and covers part of the employees' wages. Since the implementation of this measure, about 500 employees have received assistance. We allocated about 800,000 lei for this,” said State Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection Felicia Bechtoldt. “For economic agents who find themselves in a difficult situation, this assistance is like a breath of fresh air. When cash flows are at zero, you sometimes don't have the opportunity to give even half of the salary to employees, while they have families, children or people to take care of. Therefore, such government support in crisis situations is welcomed,” said Alexandru Alexeev, director of Cricova-Vin. According to the government, employers can still apply for help in paying salaries to employees who have been transferred to a reduced work schedule by filling out an application on the website .https://www.raportare.gov.md. // 04.01.2023 — InfoMarket.
