Creating deep and comprehensive free trade areas will bring short and long-term benefits to the Information and Communications Technologies sector, on condition that additional measures are taken to avoid possible problems. The statement belongs to the authors of the study “Opportunities of reforming the telecommunications system in Moldova”, Info-Prim Neo reports. One of them, Ion Cosuleanu, mentioned that although the national legal framework and policies were not adjusted to the European law, it could be improved by updating the telecommunications development strategy, approved in 2004, as well as some other related laws. Another recommendation is to assure an efficient competition on the ICT market, through regulations that would stipulate the obligations of leading operators. The study suggests the implementation of portable phone numbers, a more efficient system of using frequencies and the single emergency number 112. Ion Cosuleanu stressed that the ICT sector changed rapidly so that in a month’s time some of the study’s recommendations could be outdated. Donna Scola, Vice Minister of Information and Communications Technologies, said that the privatization of Moldtelecom, the ICT leader in Moldova, should be regarded from an economic perspective, not a political one. Similarly, she referred to the amelioration of prices, the quality and efficiency of corporate investment. The study identifies alternative operators’ limited access to Moldtelecom’s infrastructure and the conflicting roles of the state- majority shareholder of the company and regulator, as the main problems in ICT’s development. The privatization of Moldtelecom lacks a clear goal and impact and during the debate, the participants discussed other ways of denationalization. Among the reforms of the ICT sector, the study stresses the need to consolidate the independence of the National Regulatory Agency in Electronic Communications and Information Technology. Although it has financial independence, it is vulnerable to influence peddling from state structures or private operators. The study was developed by Business Intelligent Services, and commissioned and financed by the Soros Moldova Good Governance Program. According to estimations, creating deep and comprehensive FTA will boost the amount of communication services by 4.9%. The total sales in electronic communications rose from 4.3 billion lei in 2006 to 6.1 billion in 2010. The ICT sector currently accounts for 10% of the GDP.