Results of the work in the autumn session of the Committee on Social Policy, Healthсare, Labor, Family and Childhood Issues

Expanding the list of places where tobacco smoking is prohibited, new measures to support socially vulnerable categories of the population and new categories of recipients of government subsidies for the purchase of their own housing. Read about these and other socially significant changes in legislation in the information material prepared by the parliament press service.

The list of places where smoking tobacco is prohibited has been expanded

It is prohibited in Pridnestrovie to smoke in parks and squares, under canopies at city and suburban public transport stops, as well as on river transport vessels that carry out passenger transportation. Amendments and additions were made to the law “On protecting the health of citizens from the effects of environmental tobacco smoke, the consequences of smoking tobacco and other nicotine-containing mixtures without tobacco”. The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic provides for administrative liability in the form of a fine in the amount of 10 to 20 minimum wages (from 184 to 368 rubles) for violation of established norms.

State support for orphans

Orphans who have graduated from school, if they wish, will be able to receive compensation in the amount of 240 minimum wages (2328 rubles) instead of a set of seasonal clothes and shoes, and graduates of technical schools and colleges - 1290 minimum wages (12513 rubles). This norm has been prescribed in the law on the republican budget for the corresponding year since 2018. Now this measure of state support has been recorded in the relevant law “On additional guarantees for the social protection of orphans and children left without parental care”.

Measures of state support for people with disabilities were transferred from the anti-crisis law to relevant legislation

The PMR Law “On Social Protection of Disabled Persons” enshrines a norm that exempts disabled children from paying for meals in day-care rehabilitation centers. Such children, and there are more than 85 of them in the republic, will be provided with their choice of either food packages or monetary compensation in cases where it is not possible to organize lunches.

Similar measures of state support for children with disabilities began to operate in the republic during the period of COVID restrictions and were enshrined in the relevant law. The support measures were extended and transferred to the law “On measures of state support for economic entities of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in connection with the negative consequences of external factors” at the end of 2022. However, this law, and these support measures accordingly, was supposed to end on December 31, 2023. They have been enshrined on a permanent basis in the basic law “On Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities”.

The mechanism for paying compensation to liquidators of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been changed.

Citizens affected by the Chernobyl disaster will be able to receive compensation for harm along with an old-age or long-service pension. Compensation for harm is paid currently if they receive a disability pension. The new standards will come into force on January 1, 2024. They will give people affected by the Chernobyl disaster the right to choose. They can choose any type of pension and still continue to receive health compensation payments. Or receive two pensions. For example, by age and disability. The person in this case will not receive compensation for damage to health.

The category of recipients of state subsidies for the purchase of housing has been expanded

Soldiers, sergeants and warrant officers performing military service under a contract will be able to receive a state subsidy for full or partial payment of a loan for the purchase of housing from January 1. Previously, such a measure of state support was available only to the officers of the PMR Armed Forces. The deputy corps supported the President’s initiative and made appropriate changes to the law “On state support for young families in purchasing housing”.

New opportunities for hospital and clinic workers with higher non-medical education

Employees of healthcare institutions with higher non-medical education will be able to undergo certification and receive monthly salary supplements for their qualification category from January 1, 2024. The amount of such an allowance is from 50 to 100 minimum wages (from 470 to 940 rubles). The right to determine the list of specialties of workers with higher non-medical education who can take advantage of this opportunity was assigned to the Government of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. Corresponding changes and additions were made to the law “On the fundamentals of protecting the health of citizens” and to the law “On wages of public sector employees, monetary allowances for military personnel and persons equal to them under the terms of payment of monetary allowances, and monetary allowances for state civil servants”.

New measures to support people with disabilities

The state at the expense of budget funds will provide disabled women of group III with breast prostheses and bras for their fastening starting next year. Such a measure of state support applied previously only to disabled people of groups I and II. Deputies of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Healthcare proposed to make amendments to the law “On Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities”.

Simplified employment procedure for minors

Schoolchildren who have reached the age of 14 will no longer have to obtain the consent of the guardianship and trusteeship authorities to enter into an employment contract. The written consent of one of the parents or legal representative will be sufficient. Deputies of the Committee on Legislation, Protection of Rights and Freedoms of Citizens Galina Antyufeeva and Oleg Petrik proposed making appropriate changes to the PMR Labor Code to simplify the current procedure.

Changes in the Pridnestrovian production calendar

The production calendar of the republic will undergo changes. There will no longer be a transfer of the day off to the next working day in cases where a non-working holiday falls on a calendar day off. New rules in the Labor Code of the PMR will come into force in 2024. According to the authors of the legislative initiative, the adopted changes will help increase budget revenues.

Simplified procedure for importing medicines

The Supreme Council has extended the simplified procedure for importing medicines for another year. Pharmaceutical companies will be able to import medicines and drugs into Pridnestrovie that are not registered in at least one EU or CIS country until the end of 2024. All medicines at the same time must still be certified and registered with the Center for Control over the Circulation of Medical and Pharmaceutical Products of Pridnestrovie.