Since the legislation on the decentralization of public finances started to be implemented, the social services have been neglected. Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Ruxanda Glavan said two social services stopped work because the local public authorities are not obliged to direct money to these, if they have other priorities. The subject was discussed in the public hearings on the implementation of the provisions of the Law on Social Services and of the Law on the Accreditation of Providers of Social Services, IPN reports.

Ruxanda Glavan said some of the settlements have budget deficits and the local public authorities cannot focus on the social services. “We know that a social service in Ochiul Alb village of Drochia district and another one in Rublenita, Soroca, stopped work because of shortage of funds,” she stated.

The Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family will put forward a legislative initiative to create a special state budget fund that will be used to support the social services. The local authorities will be unable to use this money for other purposes than for social services. The Ministry will also suggest assessing all the social services so as to see which of them are necessary.

According to the Ministry’s report, the personal assistance service is the most popular social service, with over 1,500 beneficiaries.