The situation in road freight and passenger transport has worsened significantly and the volume of services decreased considerably. A large number of employees cannot be remunerated or are paid only a part of the salary. Practically no investments have been made in this sector in 2020, the Consultative Council on Road Transport of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure ascertained. The Council requested the senior state officials and the parliamentary groups to take urgent measures to reduce the impact of the pandemic on the road transport sector in Moldova.

The carriers reported a drastic decline in the number of passengers and the volume of freight transported in the period after the state of emergency. In parallel, an insufficient number of bilateral and freight transit authorizations for the Russian Federation is issued. This can lead to the blocking of exports in agriculture and other sectors. Investments in the sector haven’t been made and this can have negative effects during the next few years as owing to the non-competitiveness of the sector compared with foreign carriers.

The carriers accuse the Modern Bus Station of abuses and of self-assuming the inspection duties of the state.

Contacted by IPN for a comment, the Council’s president Oleg Alexa said the authorities should intervene with such fiscal measures as introduction of zero VAT on international passenger transport routes, exemption from paying the tax on income from entrepreneurial activity for 2020 and 2021, halving of road taxes for buses and trucks, halving of the price of authorizations for international freight transport, covering of 50% of the cost of excise duties on fuel consumed when transporting passengers and freight on regular routes, like in the EU. If at least some of these measures are not implemented, the economy will be brought to its knees in autumn.

A relevant letter was sent today to President Igor Dodon, Parliament Speaker Zinaida Grechanyi, Prime Minister Ion Chicu, Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Sergiu Railean, chairman of the Parliament’s commission on economy, budget and finance Vladimir Golovatiuc and also to the parliamentary groups of the PSRM, PAS, PPPDA, PDM, the Shor Party and “Pro Moldova”.