● Tuesday, April 18
New fuel price ceilings announced
The National Agency for Energy Regulation set higher price ceilings for fuels for the next two weeks. As of April 19, the price ceiling per liter of gasoline will be by 0.69 lei higher, while that per liter of diesel fuel by 0.64 lei higher. A liter of premium gasoline 95 will be sold for at most 18.18 lei, as opposed to 17.49 lei during the previous two weeks. Diesel fuel will cost at most 15.48 lei, as against 14.84 lei earlier.
● Wednesday, April 19
“Expert-Grup” about Kroll investigation
After almost three years of the crisis, the authorities have recovered 936 million lei by selling assets of the three banks, while Kroll, which was contracted to carry out an investigation and offer the authorities support in recovering money, identified thefts of about US$ 600 million. Currently, the only solution that can really diminish the pressure exerted on people is to trace the stolen money and recover it within possibilities, expert of the independent think tank “Expert-Grup” Eugen Giletski says in a study to which IPN makes reference.
Ministry of Economy suggests allocating 12.5m lei to Glass Factory
The Ministry of Economy proposes allocating 12.5 million lei from the state budget to the state-run enterprise “Fabrica de Sticla din Chisinau” (“Chisinau Glass Factory”) for increasing its share capital given its difficult financial situation. A draft Government decision to this effect was published for public debates on particip.gov.md. The rise in the share capital is judicious given the current situation of the factory. In August 2016, the Glass Factory stopped work following an accident at the glass melting furnace.
● Thursday, April 20
Rape and orchards of seed fruit trees worst hit by snow
The extent of the damage caused to field crops cannot be gauged until it snows, but it is already clear that the rape and orchards of seed fruit trees were the worst affected. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the young trees are the most vulnerable. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Iurie Usurelu, who holds the post of minister on an interim basis, made an order to constitute a monitoring and documentation commission that will collect information about the late frosts of this spring. The commission has ten working days to assess the situation based on the information provided by the district agriculture and food divisions. As a result, there will be formulated recommendations as to the measures that need to be taken to alleviate the consequences of frosts.
German support for Republic of Moldova
Germany will assist the Moldovan authorities in doing reforms in the fields of labor migration, labor legislation, fiscal policy for stimulating foreign investment and in implementing the industrialization program. In this regard, Minister of Economy Octavian Calmac had a discussion with representatives of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). In a press release, the Ministry of Economy notes that the German officials said the conditions of attracting investment to Moldova were improved following the implementation of the Economic Policy Advice to the Moldovan Government project for 2016-2017, while the business sector is more actively involved in the formulation of reform proposals. The representatives of the Embassy of Germany in Chisinau and of GIZ said the investment promotion services are now consolidated and the Government of Moldova offers assistance based on requests for potential and current investment projects that create jobs. In the period, there were created 1,900 new jobs, while another 4,000 are to be created in the nearest future.
● FRIDAY, April 21
Apricot, peach and walnut trees worst hit by bad weather
The apricot, peach and walnut trees and the rape were seriously affected by the low temperate and late snowfall. The apple trees are the most resistant ones, said specialists of local Agriculture and Food Divisions who examined multiannual plantations, vineyards and grain crops. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the fruit trees were affected to different extents, depending on species and limits of resistance to low temperatures. The apricot, peach and walnut trees were the worst hit. The cherry trees were less affected as their flowers were already pollinated. The flowers of plum trees could also be affected to a lesser extent. The apple trees, which are now in blossom, are more resistant to low temperatures. The winter crops and vines weren’t affected.
No major damage has been caused in agriculture for now
No major damage has been done in the agricultural sector so far, IPN reports, making reference to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. There was no frost in the central and northern districts of Moldova so that the crops in this area will not be seriously affected. In the central-southern part of the county, where the temperatures dropped to minus 3 degrees Celsius, the situation is worse. The layer of snow in central Moldova is of 60-80 cm, while in some parts is of even 1 meter, while in the southern districts it is of 50-60 cm. Thus, the young fruit tree orchards could be affected, especially the hazels whose foliar area is up to 40% developed. The cherry and apricot trees could also be affected. In sloping areas, some of the walnut trees froze. Owing to the heavy snow, a part of greenhouses that were built inappropriately were damaged.
