Ion Ceban, President of the National Alternative Movement (MAN) and Mayor General of Chișinău, has raised alarm over the worrying pace of public debt growth, which has reached 128.65 billion lei, TRIBUNA reports.

“We are concerned about the steep rise in public debt, as well as the indifference with which the government treats this issue,” said Ion Ceban.

He presented data showing that in the first ten months of the current year, domestic debt increased by 4.71 billion lei (+10.7%), while external debt grew by 2.54 billion lei (+3.3%). “In just 10 months, we have a 14% increase in public debt, and over the course of a year it has risen by about 17%,” Ceban specified.

The MAN leader also emphasized the pressure that debt servicing costs place on the state budget, insisting on the need for responsible solutions. “This year alone, more than 9 billion lei are allocated for servicing the public debt, which represents more than half of the budget deficit,” he noted.

Regarding statements from the government, Ceban said: “PAS claims that, relative to GDP, public debt is not large, but they pretend not to understand that at this pace of borrowing, by 2027 the public debt will equal the value of all public property managed by the Government – 157 billion lei.”

In this context, MAN proposes the organization of parliamentary hearings dedicated to the public debt situation. “We demand that Parliament organize hearings on this issue and present detailed information on the reasons for the debt increase, the conditions of the loans, and the use of funds,” Ceban declared.

He further stated that MAN will continue institutional initiatives: “MAN will submit requests to Parliament through our deputies. If Parliament refuses to organize these hearings, we reserve the right to resort to other legal actions to compel the government to change its attitude toward public debt, which is becoming an increasingly serious problem for the Republic of Moldova,” Ion Ceban concluded.