Specifically, according to the Cabinet of Ministers' decision, the revenue side of the 2026 state budget will be increased by 600.5 million lei (+0.8%) — from 79.674 billion to 80.2745 billion lei, while the expenditure side will increase by 2.7723 billion lei (+2.8%) —from 100.574 billion to 103.3463 billion lei. As a result, the state budget deficit for 2026 will increase by 2.1718 billion lei (+1.1%) — from 20.9 billion to 23 billion 071.8 million lei, which will amount to approximately 5.95% of GDP. As noted by the Ministry of Finance, the main factors behind the proposed amendments to the 2026 state budget relate to adjustments to budget indicators concerning revenues, expenditures, and the budget balance (deficit), with the aim of securing the necessary financial resources to fund priority measures and fulfill commitments undertaken through the end of the year, while also taking into account the current level of state budget execution. In this regard, the amendments propose allocating the necessary financial resources to ensure the required appropriations for providing one-time assistance to public sector employees; to provide the necessary funds for implementing social protection measures related to the state social insurance budget, including cash payments to energy-vulnerable individuals, as well as for financing other social benefits; to ensure the payment of salaries in institutions funded from both the state and local budgets; to ensure the necessary payments to certain public institutions for the normal conduct of their activities until the end of the year; and to review expenditures and resources within projects funded from external sources. Prime Minister Vasily Tofan noted that the amendments to the 2026 State Budget Law are based on updated revenue forecasts and additional funding needs to implement a number of policy measures. According to him, the government needs to make certain changes to the budget, including assuming additional expenditures and obligations toward the public: first and foremost, to pay compensation during the cold season, as well as to make one-time payments to teachers, police officers, and other civil servants. "We will also increase the Road Fund. At the same time, we have proposed cutting certain expenditures. From a budgetary perspective, the situation looks challenging—the budget deficit will rise to 23 billion lei, which amounts to 5.95% of GDP. Our goal is to bring the deficit down to 3% of GDP. We must be very strict and disciplined when adopting next year's budget in order to have the most balanced budget possible and prevent such a large deficit," the prime minister stated. One of the main measures provided for in the amendments to the State Budget Law is the payment of one-time benefits to certain categories of public sector employees. 560 million lei will be allocated for this purpose. Payments will be made to individuals whose average monthly salary does not exceed 20,000 lei. The amount of the payments will be 4,000, 3,000, or 2,000 lei, depending on the employee's category. Transfers to the state social insurance budget will be increased by 1.6 billion lei, of which 550 million lei will be used to pay energy compensation in cash. Funding is also provided for infrastructure development in rural areas. The National Fund for Regional and Local Development will be increased by 1 billion lei to complete infrastructure projects at the local level, and the Road Fund will be increased by 300 million lei. An additional 651.7 million lei will be allocated to cover salary needs. These funds will be used to pay the salaries of staff at state-funded institutions and educational institutions under the jurisdiction of local authorities, and will subsequently be distributed by the government. At the same time, it is proposed to reduce spending on projects financed from external sources by approximately 959.8 million lei, based on the projected allocation of financial resources from development partners and the use of allocated funds. On the revenue side, VAT revenues will increase by 600 million lei, income tax revenues by 220 million lei, and excise tax revenues collected within Moldova by 134.7 million lei. At the same time, revenue projections from excise taxes on imported goods have been revised downward by 122.1 million lei, customs duties by 170 million lei, and grants by 837 million lei. // 02.09.2026 – InfoMarket.