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At a press club meeting organized by the Independent Journalism Center on Wednesday, March 22, MITC Deputy Minister Vitalie Ciolac said: "In 2015, the allocation of funds for the actions mentioned was not possible due to political instability, financial problems and insufficient money in the budget. As a result of the Government's efforts, by the end of 2016 Moldova achieved economic and financial stability. Currently, the MITC jointly with the Ministry of Finance and with the support of the Government has identified the amount of 50 million lei from the State budget in order to provide about 72 thousand disadvantaged families with converters, under Law no. 133 on welfare allowances. In this respect, the MITC started drafting a Government decision that will establish the mechanisms for equipping disadvantaged families."
It should be mentioned that according to the information that we have from the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, the number of socially vulnerable families that will receive welfare allowances in 2017 under Law 133 is much smaller than the one indicated by Deputy Minister Ciolac, and constitutes 56,263.
Information on the MITC website is also contradictory. The Sector Medium Term Expenses Strategy (2017-2019) in the area of information technology and communications indicates provision of converters to disadvantaged families as an action with no financial coverage. The MITC Action Plan for year 2017, however, in the chapter on transition to digital terrestrial television stipulates that "to provide disadvantaged families with converters, related costs are planned in the amount of 85,854 million lei.” The Report of the interdepartmental working group on the implementation of the program of transition from analog to digital terrestrial television in the second semester of 2016, published on the same website, notes that about 123,000 disadvantaged families will have to buy by themselves signal converters for receiving digital terrestrial television upon termination on December 31, 2017 of broadcasting in analog format, otherwise they will remain without access to television programs."
To clarify these contradictions, Media Azi telephoned the MITC again. This time, we were forwarded to the head of communications policy department Vladimir Vornic, who told us other figures: "We were called by representatives of the Ministry of Finance, telling us that they intend to solve this problem by May-June of this year. Thus, 46-50 million lei will be assigned, which will allow providing over 66 thousand potential families with converters. There is a confirmation letter that is to be signed by the Minister of Finance and sent to our institution," explained Vladimir Vornic.
Cristina Nicolau, consultant of the service of information and communication with media of the Ministry of Finance, told us that "In order to ensure realization of the action, the Ministry of Finance will examine the possibility to amend the Law on State Budget for 2017, so as to assign to the MITC budget allocations for this purpose." It should be mentioned that a month ago, on February 28, the same official claimed that the identification of funds will be returned to during work on of the Medium Term Budget Framework (MTBF) 2018-2020.
According to Government Decision no. 240 of May 8, 2015, the Ministry of Finance had to assign in the draft law on State budget for year 2016 to the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications funds worth 100 million lei "to provide disadvantaged families with signal converters for reception of digital terrestrial television." This money, however, did not reach the MITC.
We shall remind that the process of transition to digital television will end December 31, 2017.
Source of photo: www.mtic.gov.md
