Moldova invests 70 million lei in expanding social services
The Government of the Republic of Moldova will invest approximately 70 million lei in expanding and improving social services across the country, announced Alexei Buzu, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, during a press conference.
Of this amount, 50 million lei will be allocated to specialised services provided at social centres throughout the country. According to the minister, the ministry currently manages around 93 centres offering 136 services to 2,420 beneficiaries.
“We have prepared a 50 million lei package for services provided at social centres, particularly those aimed at children separated from their parents, individuals with disabilities, people in at-risk situations, and survivors of gender-based violence, especially violence against women. Out of the 93 centres, we will allocate these resources for interventions in 45, approximately half of the centres we manage as part of the Restart reform. Our goal is to improve infrastructure, enhance the quality of services, and increase the number of beneficiaries,” stated Minister Alexei Buzu.
In this context, the ministry aims to increase the number of services by 20% and the number of beneficiaries by 25% within one year of implementing these measures.
“We will expand capacity, improve quality, and increase the number of beneficiaries. In particular, we will focus on services aimed at children in at-risk situations. We have identified regions in the country where there is a significant lack of social services, and we will work to address these gaps,” Minister Buzu added.
Additionally, the minister announced that the government would continue to invest in the mobile team service, which will be available in all districts of the Republic of Moldova by the end of this year.
“The mobile team service involves specialists such as speech therapists, psychologists, kinesiotherapists, and social workers who visit beneficiaries' homes to provide recovery, rehabilitation, and, crucially, empowerment and community integration services,” explained Minister Buzu.
Present at the event, Marina Morozova, a deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, stated that the RESTART reform focuses on “investments being made in the social assistance system across the country.”
“The Restart reform introduced a comprehensive investment package for frontline workers, but especially for those benefiting from social services. These investments will radically transform the lives of our elderly and children,” emphasised Morozova.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection launched the "RESTART" social assistance system reform last spring. Through this reform, the authorities aim to improve governance and transparency in the social assistance system, ensuring equitable and uniform access to quality services for vulnerable populations.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
