Moldova will tighten sanctions for violations in construction by increasing fines by 8 times and depriving officials of the right to hold public office.
This is provided for by a corresponding bill, which was registered by a group of MPs from the PAS party in order to toughen penalties for illegal construction and combat the illegal issuance of building permits. The bill would amend the Contravention Code to increase fines for illegal activities in the construction industry; introduction of additional penalties (deprivation of the right to engage in certain activities or hold public office); sanctions of local public authorities for refusing to issue urban planning acts to bona fide business entities that have the relevant documents. PAS MP Alexandru Trubca noted that sanctions in construction are too small to stop illegal actions in the industry. “We propose to increase the fine by about 8 times, from the maximum amount of 9,800 lei, as it is now, to 75,000 lei,” he said. In addition to a fine, an additional sanction will be the deprivation of the right to hold positions or engage in certain activities. For example, a site manager or a designer who has drawn up a document in violation of the urban planning certificate issued by the mayor’s office risks being deprived of the right to practice a profession for up to 1 year. The new sanction, which has not yet existed, provides for the prosecution of civil servants who issue urban planning documentation in violation of the law. Violations will be punished by both fines and deprivation of the right to hold public office. There will also be tougher penalties for those who damage historical monuments. “Currently, a person who illegally demolished a historical monument can get off with a fine of only 1,500 lei, and the responsible person who allowed this is not subject to sanctions in any form. Such modest sanctions encourage rather than discourage the destruction of historical heritage. Therefore, in the event of such violations, the sanctions will increase significantly,” said PAS MP Virgiliu Pislariuc. Fines will also be introduced for installing air conditioners on the main facades of historic buildings. PAS MP Vasile Gradinaru noted that the developed bill is connected with other changes made earlier. Thus, amendments have recently been made to the Law on the Protection of Historical Monuments, as well as to the Law on the Protection of Green Spaces. “We are going to work with the government on a draft regulation on unauthorized demolition in order to logically close this vicious circle that allowed the appearance of unauthorized buildings,” he said. // 21.02.2022 — InfoMarket
