ECO-BUS WEEKLY DIGEST December 13-19. Most important Economy & Business news by IPN
● MONDAY, December 13
PAS proposes return to 50% relief for hybrid auto imports
PAS’s Dumitru Alaiba has introduced a bill that restores a 50% relief on import duties of hybrid vehicles, which was repealed by the previous Parliament in 2020.
“Because we need to promote greener engines, to encourage the purchase of greener cars, which will help reduce air and environmental pollution by reducing the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere”, said the Action and Solidarity lawmaker.
Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office completes investigation into Air Moldova mismanagement
The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announced it has completed its investigation against two former executives at the state company Air Moldova. The case has been sent to court and the suspects will be formally charged with abuse of office and mismanagement.
The PA said the suspects withheld critical financial information from auditors for the years 2014-2016. As a result, the state company spent more than 1 million lei for a worthless audit.
● TUESDAY, December 14
Photovoltaic systems to be permitted on agricultural land
The Government approved a set of amendments to the Land Code permitting the installation of photovoltaic systems on agricultural land without the requirement of changing its land-use status.
Promoting the bill, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Viorel Gherciu stated the measure aims at reducing Moldova’s dependency on electricity imports.
The installation of photovoltaic panels is also advantageous for farmers, who will be able to reduce their costs if they operate cold stores or consume high amounts of energy during production or processing. Similarly, they can be useful in livestock farming.
Moldova to borrow €150M from EIB to repair roads
Moldova will sign a 150 million euros loan agreement with the European Investment Bank for the Moldova Roads IV Project, which represents 50% of the total cost. The other half is financed by the EBRD.
Infrastructure Minister Andrei Spînu told Tuesday’s Government meeting that the project provides for the rehabilitation, modernization and extension of several road sectors, such as the M5 road to the border with Ukraine, Criva-Balti-Chisinau-Tiraspol-Border with Ukraine, the Criva-Balti sector, with a length of 133 km, at an estimated cost of 129,000 euros.
Another road covered by the project is M2, the Chisinau city belt, on sectors 2 and 3, with a length of 17.35 km and an estimated cost of 52,000 euros. The M3 road Chisinau - Comrat - Giurgiulesti - border with Romania, the bypass of the city of Cimislia, at an estimated cost of 9,000 euros.
€60M grant agreement to be signed Wednesday in Brussels
Moldova and the European Commission on Wednesday will sign an agreement for 60 million euros in non-reimbursable assistance. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița said the grant will be wired directly into the state budget to cover costs of mitigating the energy crisis, IPN reports.
Natalia Gavrilița told a press briefing on Tuesday that the pace at which this non-reimbursable aid moved, from political decision to approval, was extraordinary. She said this was made possible by the efforts of President Maia Sandu and the European institutions' confidence in her, but also by the direct involvement of Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations.
● WEDNESDAY, December 15
EBRD and EIB lend to Moldova for energy efficiency projects and road
Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and representatives of the EBRD and EIB signed in Brussels the documents confirming the conclusion of the agreements needed for implementing the Moldovan Energy Efficiency Project, IPN reports, quoting the presidential press service.
“Owing to this project, a national project to rehabilitate buildings all over the country, primarily the social ones, will be launched in the Republic of Moldova. Among the beneficiaries are public institutions of national importance, such as republican hospitals, and local and municipal facilities, such as kindergartens, schools, municipal and district hospitals. This way, following the rehabilitation of hospitals, over 250,000 patients will enjoy better services, while the state will save at least €5.2 million,” runs the press release.
EU offers €60m for alleviating impact of rise in gas prices
Representatives of the European Union and of the Republic of Moldova signed in Brushes a €60 million financing agreement. The budgetary support program supplements the EU’s economic recovery package for the Republic of Moldova to the value of €600 million, which is to be implemented during the next three years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova has said. The €60 million comes to support the national action plan concerning the energy crisis for attenuating the socioeconomic impact following the rise in the prices of natural gas, IPN reports.
“We worked at an accelerated pace, alongside fellows from the Government, to adopt the national action plan action concerning the energy crisis that is aimed at alleviating the socioeconomic impact of the higher natural gas prices, increasing the capacities to provide services to vulnerable groups of people, primarily the basic services for the population, and supporting the long-term socioeconomic recovery, energy security and energy transition in our country,” Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, said in the signing ceremony.
● THURSDAY, December 16
€150m agreement with EIB signed in Brussels
Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, signed a €150 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank for the Moldova Roads IV Project. The money will be used to repair and modernize over 150 km of roads and to carry out feasibility studies for other sections, IPN reports.
The agreement was signed in the name of the Government of the Republic of Moldova on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit, in the presence of President Maia Sandu.
Carriers resume protests. Andrei Spînu: We do not understand their logic
The Employers Association of Road Transport Operators mounted a protest in front of the Government Building. The carriers demanded again to increase fares as gasoline and diesel fuel, spare parts and car repair services grew more expensive. The protesters also demanded to liquidate the schemes applied by the companies “Gările Auto Moderne” and the North Bus Station Chisinau, IPN reports.
The carriers asked the authorities at least to intervene to reduce their costs if they do not agree to raise the fares. “We incur costs for satisfying the wishes of this grouping that took over the stations, of oil companies, of insurance companies, not to mention the wishes of those from the National Road Transport Agency and many others. Most of these costs are accompanied by regulatory instruments. The Ministry can and is sometimes obliged to intervene and regulate,” said Oleg Alexa, who heads the Board of the Employers Association of Road Transport Operators.
● FRIDAY, December 17
Opposition and government argue over money provided by EU
The opposition and the government admit the importance of the financial assistance provided to the Republic of Moldova by the European Union. The representatives of the authorities said the sum of €60 million offered for overcoming the energy crisis will be used to subsidize the natural gas rates for the people and to invest in projects that bring value added to the economy. For its part, the opposition is dissatisfied with the large number of loans raised by Moldova as this further impoverishes the people, IPN reports.
The Eastern Partnership Summit that was held in Brussels was preceded by the signing by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu and European Commission for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi of a €60 million financing agreement under which Moldova will get non-reimbursable assistance to solve its energy problems and to alleviate the socioeconomic impact following the rise in natural gas prices.
