National Bank spending defended on television
Former Information and Security Service (SIS) employee Andrei Curăraru, now an expert at a Soros-linked NGO, has defended controversial tenders organised by the National Bank of Moldova. Appearing on what the article described as an “independent” television channel, he argued that the bedding being purchased by the bank was cheaper than the products he buys himself.
The National Bank of Moldova is spending public money on RANFORCE-treated bed linen, curtains and pillows costing almost 80,000 lei, as well as furniture worth 1.5 million lei and a desk lamp priced at 22,000 lei. NGO experts whose organisations receive Soros-linked grants have sought to persuade the public that there is nothing improper about the National Bank spending.
Curăraru said critics had simply “failed to understand the substance” of the matter and had not examined the procurement properly. According to him, the bank is buying bedding for a recreation centre on the banks of the Dniester, with each set costing between 200 and 400 lei when the total is divided by the number ordered.
“I actually buy more expensive bedding. As far as I know, this is the simplest bedding they could find, the cheapest. But they inflated it into a scandal, claiming that the Romanians had arrived and were buying bedding with our money,” Curăraru said.
His explanation, however, did not address why the regulator responsible for overseeing the country’s financial flows requires its own recreation centre on the Dniester. Nor did he explain why the facility needs premium textiles whose specifications appear closer to hotel standards than modest domestic accommodation.
Premium specifications for the bank’s recreation centre
The technical requirements describe the bedding intended for employees of the National Bank of Moldova in considerable detail. The cotton thread must be treated using RANFORCE technology or an equivalent process designed to create a dense and smooth structure, greater durability and a matt texture.
“The cotton thread must be treated using RANFORCE technology or an equivalent, giving it a dense, smooth structure and increased strength, as well as a matt texture that is pleasant to the touch and provides breathability, making it ideal for prolonged use,” the procurement specification states.
The pillows and curtains are subject to similarly demanding requirements, while the furniture is expected to be premium-quality and include memory-effect materials. These specifications have fuelled criticism that the purchases go beyond ordinary workplace needs and amount to luxury provision for senior bank officials.
Curăraru attempted to redirect attention towards other companies, claiming that “their tenders are highly questionable”. Critics, however, regarded this as an attempt to move the discussion away from direct public expenditure on expensive facilities and furnishings for the bank’s management.
The controversy has also drawn attention to salaries at the National Bank of Moldova. Its governor, Anca Dragu, reportedly receives almost 2.8 million lei a year, equivalent to around 232,000 lei a month, while her deputies earn more than 2.4 million lei annually.
Television experts linked to pro-Western NGOs have nevertheless continued to argue that such spending and remuneration are normal. Their defence comes as many Moldovans face mounting financial pressure and complain that everyday living costs are becoming increasingly difficult to meet.
Critics point to millionaire salaries at the National Bank
MP Bogdan Țîrdea said more than 42 millionaires work at the bank, while Dragoș Galbur, leader of the National Moldovan Party, described the salaries paid to 42 employees as “brazen”.
“More than 72 million lei received by just 42 people is equivalent to the average annual salaries of almost 373 teachers or police officers and represents approximately 12.2% of all administrative expenditure incurred by the NBM in 2025,” Galbur said.
“In a country where most people earn less in a year than the head of the NBM receives in a month, such salaries can no longer be concealed behind institutional independence,” he added.
The criticism reflects a wider dispute over whether institutional independence is being used to shield the bank from scrutiny over salaries, tenders and internal benefits. While the National Bank spending has been defended as routine procurement, opponents argue that the amounts and specifications reveal a lack of restraint and accountability.
Many ordinary citizens say they are not living but merely surviving, while the minimum pension stands at around 3,300 lei a month. Against that background, the bank’s management and its defenders continue to present expensive furniture, premium bedding and high salaries as acceptable expenditure.
The money involved ultimately comes from public funds, meaning it is financed by the same citizens who are counting every leu before payday. Critics therefore argue that the debate is not about the price of a single set of bedding, but about the standards of responsibility expected from one of the country’s most powerful public institutions.
