ECO-BUS WEEKLY DIGEST June 28 – July 4. Most important Economy & Business news by IPN

MONDAY, June 28

Valentin Eșanu demands to bring to justice those who fabricated cases against him

Two years after his release from jail and one year after the dropping of charges in the case started over tax evasion and money laundering against him, businessman Valentin Eșanu is determined to make approaches to the law enforcement agencies so that the prosecutors, judges and employees of the Ministry of the Interior involved in the fabrication of the case are held accountable. In a news conference at IPN, Valentin Eșanu said that it has been two years since he was set free from Penitentiary No. 13, but he hasn’t seen yet any concrete step aimed at holding the persons involved in the fabrication of the case against him accountable. He and other persons working at his company were arrested. Without reason, he was arrested and set free for three times during two years. He was released for a minute and was then handcuffed again at the prison’s gate on different pretexts.

Impunity of those who should obey law kills country and citizens, lawyer

As long as persons to blame for illegalities are not punished, things in the country will not improve, especially when it goes to persons hired to defend the rights and security of persons, said lawyer Eduard Rudenco. According to him, the impunity of the law enforcement agencies kills the country, the economy and the citizens of this country. “We can discuss ay reform, but as long as there are persons at the Ministry of the Interior, prosecution service and courts who violate, nothing will change, regardless of the number of adopted laws and of the reformed institutions. Those who should protect the people never answered for what they did, for making us suffer. They violate, but we answer and this is the most serious thing. Their impunity kills us and the country,” Eduard Rudenco stated in a news conference at IPN.

PGO reacts to statements made by Valentin Eșanu

The Prosecutor General’s Office said it is ready to accept complaints about offenses committed by concrete persons and to investigate each case objectively, in accordance with the law. The comment was made after businessman Valentin Eșanu said that no person of the legal system was punished after his release from detention and after the charges against him were dropped. Eșanu said he will make approaches to the law enforcement agencies so that the prosecutors, judges and employees of the Ministry of the Interior involved in the fabrication of the case against him are held accountable. The PGO said in some of the cases, persons involved in the fabrication of cases by order are investigated within disciplinary or criminal proceedings. “The Prosecutor General’s Office will continue to use all the legal ways to rehabilitate the persons who were investigated and tried unjustly,” says the institution’s comment.

● TUESDAY, June 29

EBRD details investment in Moldova’s Giurgiuleşti Port

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has published a document with the details of its investment in Moldova’s Giurgiuleşti International Free Port (Giurgiuleşti Port), one of the country’s key strategic assets. To safeguard port operations and to safeguard and protect its financial interests, the EBRD became the sole ultimate legal owner of the operator of Giurgiulești Port on 7 May 2021. Through its acquisition, the EBRD aims to support the port’s continued operation and will seek to attract international investors to support and develop this key infrastructure asset, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the Bank. The EBRD’s support for the project started in 1995, when it provided a US$ 27.5 million financing package, comprising debt and equity, to Terminal S.A., a joint entity that had entered into a concession agreement with the government of Moldova to construct and operate Giurgiulești Port.

● WEDNESDAY, June 30

eBloc platform to optimize housing and public utilities

A smart management platform called eBloc was created to optimize and digitize housing and public utilities and to offer the dwellers and local public administration the necessary transparency. eBloc is a unique project on Moldova’s territory that was designed in concert with partners from Romania. Currently, a part of the blocks in the Republic of Moldova already use eBloc invoices within condominium co-owners associations, Irina Melnic, development manager of eBloc platform, stated in a news conference at IPN on June 30. Irina Melnic said eBloc ensures the digitalization, calculation and monthly invoicing of housing and public utilities based on contracts for the provisions of services signed by the housing sector managers with suppliers, providers of public utilities and the local public administration.

● THURSDAY, July 1

eBloc enables to pay for public utilities from abroad

The housing and public utilities in Leova town were digitized through the eBloc platform. The implementation of this platform in other settlements will facilitate the payment of utility bills by apartment owners. For example, the parents live in Chisinau, while the children work in Italy. After the platform is implemented, the children will be able to pay for public utilities used in the apartment in Chisinau from Italy, through the mobile phone, Ovidiu Rusu, director general of eBloc Romania, said in a news conference at IPN. According to Ovidiu Rusu, the Smart platform, similar to the eBloc platform in Moldova’s Leova, ensures transparency, optimization of processes, round-the-clock access, seven days a week, and alternative payment, communication and reporting methods.

Agriculture minister seeks 246m lei for compensating damage caused by rain

Minster of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Ion Perju asks to allocate 246 million lei from the Government’s reserve fund for partially compensating the damage caused by the natural disasters that occurred in the Republic of Moldova the past two months. The torrential rain with high winds and hail affected 77 settlements in 23 districts. According to the assessments carried out until June 28, the damage caused to crops exceeds 162 million lei. In addition to this sum, in Ștefan Vodă district alone, the damage done on about 2,000 hectares by June 26 came to about 65 million lei, Ion Perju stated in a press briefing, being quoted by IPN. The official said important segments of infrastructure and large areas of crops were affected. Torrential rain with hail and high wind were forecast for the coming says and 18 new anti-hail rocket units should be set up and put into operation, in additional to the 132 existing units, for which an extra over 7 million lei is needed.

Vladimir Cebotari no longer investigated in Airport case

The charges against MP Vladimir Cebotari in the case of the concession of the Chisinau International Airport were dropped. Another five persons and a legal entity continue to be investigated in this case, IPN reports, quoting the Prosecutor General’s Office. The criminal case against Vladimir Cebotari was started on September 19, 2019 after Parliament lifted the immunity of the MP and he was accused of abuse of power in taking over assets of the Airport. The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office reached the conclusion that as a member of the contest commission concerning the concession of the Chisinau International Airport, Vladimir Cebotari acted within the limits of his legal powers and his deeds didn’t contain elements of an offense.

Moldovan season workers in Germany to enjoy same rights as local workers

The citizens of the Republic of Moldova who perform seasonal works in Germany will benefit from the same rights as the local workers. This is provided in a memorandum of cooperation that was signed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection of Moldova and the Federal Employment Agency of Germany on July 1. The document is aimed at ensuring the labor and social rights of the Moldovans who migrate to do seasonal works in Germany, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the Ministry. The agreement will stipulate a clear recruitment mechanism based on ethnical recruitment and will ensure the legality of the migration process. It envisions a series of guarantees for the future workers, such as signing of the work contract with the employer directly, guaranteeing of the legal stay by issuing the work permit, ensuring of working conditions similar to those for local workers. The document also stipulates a mechanism for the protection of citizens of the Republic of Moldova if their rights are not respected.

● FRIDAY, July 2

Casa Modei and Asito case returned to first court. Position of Continental Business Invest

The commercial organization “Continental Business Invest” SRL warns public opinion about the injustice done by the Chisinau City Appeals Court in the case of Casa Modei and former Asito building. The company said that by its decision of June 8, 2021, the court interpreted the law for the benefit of controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon and accepted the appeal of his lawyers, the criminal case being returned to the ordinary court, to another panel of judges. “Continental Business Invest” SRL considers the given decision is illegal for a number of reasons that are evident even for persons without legal studies, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the company. According to “Continental Business Invest”, the Appeals Court held that the judge of inquiry violated the right of the lawyers for Platon when it pronounced the decision in their absence. “We note that these were absent due to an alleged positive test for COVID-19, but that test was false and this fact was confirmed by the responsible institution – the National Public Health Agency. We remind that presenting the false test with the evident purpose of delaying the examination of the case, the lawyers for Platon took part in the hearings and every time unfoundedly asked to put off the passing of judgment in at least four hearings,” said the company, noting that the conclusion of a judge of inquire is irrevocable, with some exceptions that cannot be applied here.

Heating network that supplies heat to “Gh. Asachi” Lyceum modernized

“Termoelectrica” SA extensively rehabilitated the heating network that supplies heat and hot water to the Romanian-French Theoretical Lyceum “Gheorghe Asachi” in central Chisinau. About 200 meters of heat pipes have been renovated in total. The investment will enable to improve the quality and to ensure the continuity of heat supply, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the company. “By this project to rehabilitate the heating network, we will manage to ensure the reliability of heating services provided for students and teachers of the Romanian-French Theoretical Lyceum “Gheorghe Asachi”, said Veaceslav Eni, director general of “Termoelectrica” SA. The works to set up new pipes were completed. The area will be asphalted during the next few days. The modernization works were carried out according to the investment plan of “Termoelectrica” SA for 2021.

Automated distance service systems are increasingly popular among users

The automated distance service systems (ADSS) become more popular among users. In the first quarter of this year, the number of users of ADSS systems rose by 38.2% compared with the corresponding period last year, shows a report by the National Bank of Moldova on the surveillance of the infrastructure of the financial market that is quoted by IPN reports. According to the NBM, the rise is due to the increased necessity of using such systems for making payments, especially due to the epidemiological situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During January 2 – March 31, 2021, the automated interbank payment system processed 3.1 million payments to the value of 260.4 billion lei. The number of cards in circulation in the period rose by 6.7% compared with the corresponding period last year. The number of cashless payments with cards issued in the country grew by 43.3% compared with the same period last year.

● SATURDAY, July 3

Export of honey to EU has declined

Honey production in the Republic of Moldova and honey exports to the EU have declined the past two years, primarily due to drought. In 2017, the Republic of Moldova exported 5,100 tonnes of honey to the EU, in 2018 – 4,100 tonnes, in 2019 – 3,900 tonnes, while last year – 3,300 tonnes. Vasile Dolghieru, president of the Honey Exporters Association of Moldova, said many families of bees died owing to the unfavorable weather conditions. However, the quantity of honey also declined due to the diminution in Moldova of the areas of honey trees, such as acacia and linden trees that are being cut for firewood, and to the mistakes made by beginner beekeepers that do not ensure the proper hibernation of families of bees. In Moldova, there are more honey trees, but these are centuries-old and honey from them can be obtained in several years.

Gasoline and diesel fuel cheapened, price of liquefied petroleum gas raised

A number of filling stations posted lower fuel prices. Gasoline and diesel fuel were cheapened by 0.30-0.40 lei per liter, while the price of liquefied petroleum gas was increased. The new price of a litter of gasoline “95” is 20.05 lei, down by 0.32 lei. A liter of gasoline “98” costs 20.39 lei, as opposed to 21.20 lei until now. A liter of diesel fuel costs 16.38 lei, down 0.37 lei, while a liter of Ecto diesel fuel also costs 16.38 lei, but is by 0.87 lei lower. The price of liquefied petroleum gas is 11.33 lei/litter, up 0.41 lei.