The vacancy of director general of the Customs Service was filled. Under an order made by the minister of finance, Vitalie Vrabie will take up his duties on March 18. This replaces Tudor Balitski, who was dismissed last month, IPN reports.

According to a press release of the Customs Service, the new chief was presented to the staff by Minister of Finance Octavian Armasu. The minister said that the main tasks to which attention should be devoted are: to ensure the planned amounts are collected into the state budget; to modernize the Customs Service and to implement the Moldova – EU Association Agreement.

The former Customs Service chief Tudor Balitski was discharged from the post on February 29, at the request of Prime Minister Pavel Filip. The Premier then asked for a moratorium on state inspections at business entities for the reason that these are intimidated and told to give bribe.

Vitalie Vrabie held office as Minister of Defense in the Government headed by Zinaida Grecheanyi, who was then a member of the Party of Communists. In 2011, he was elected as secretary general of the Democratic Party and is now a member of this party’s National Political Council. In the summer of 2012, Vitalie Brabie was named administrator of the Industrial Park “Tracom”.