Even if Moldovans actively buy stuff online, the sector is far from being exploited at full capacity, finds a study that was presented during the latest meeting of the Economic Press Club. The study has been developed with the support of USAID Moldova, which last summer became involved in the Moldovan Government’s roadmap on digitizing the economy, IPN reports.
According to the study, the problems stem from what online commerce means in a legal sense. There is some legislation in place, but it needs to be adapted, at least to the standards of the European Union. A major problem, the study reveals, is related to the local tax. In the understanding of district councils executors, when a company that already has a physical shop goes online, it must pay a local tax on such sales. The proposal is to correct the definition included in Law no. 231 and clarify that e-commerce is a variety of trade, not a new unit that is to be included in the tax base.
Another finding is that training courses are needed in the field of e-commerce, because many entrepreneurs see the advantages, but do not know the ABCs. A few rounds of advice or a beginner’s guide developed by governmental agencies would be very helpful.
Also, efforts are needed to protect actors in the field. Both the trader and the consumer must benefit from a clear and unambiguous regulation of the relations between them.
Another issue is the requirement of the Personal Data Protection Agency for both the consumer and seller to possess an electronic signature, which is deemed to be an excess. State agencies need to cooperate and find a solution to the problem of remote identification.
Attending the Club’s meeting, MP Radu Marian, deputy chairman of the Economy Committee, said that there is all the political will to stimulate entrepreneurs and encourage the population to use electronic payments. “The vision of the Government, of the Parliament is that we must have as many cashless payments as possible and as little interaction as possible between the state and the private environment so that businesses can grow and move the country’s economy forward,” said the lawmaker.
According to the MP, the creation of a modern e-Commerce infrastructure is a priority on the authorities’ agenda and several initiatives have been launched to improve the legal framework. The package of initiatives includes a fair and transparent regulatory framework, tax incentives for businesses, facilitating the identification of remote operators and customers, and financial education of the population.
