● TUESDAY, April 10

Procedure for putting companies on list of entities exempted from VAT to be simplified

The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure proposes amending the current regulations so as to simplify the procedure for putting enterprises operating in the light industry on the list of business entities that are exempted from paying VAT, with the deduction right, by excluding the preliminary approval of the list. According to the Ministry, the light industry enterprises that work under active refinement customs regime, which is they provide services to make goods from raw material supplied by clients from abroad, repeatedly warned the authorities that the list approval procedure extends the period of inclusion in the list from 10 to 30-50 days, delaying the deliveries to clients. Consequently, they are unable to meet the deadlines specified in contracts.

● WEDNESDAY, April 11

Number of companies that export to EU goes up

Moldova’s exports to the European Union in the first two months of the year increased, as did the number of companies exporting to the EU market. This means that the companies reoriented from the Russian Federation to the EU, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure Iuliana Dragalin. According to her, this was possible owing to the building of a favorable environment, attraction of investment and creation of export conditions through the agency of the Moldova – EU Association Agreement. “All the factors together favored the export to the EU market.” Economic expert Viorel Chivriga noted that the first two months of the year are not considered relevant by economists. But the situation in 2018 is specific. Exports grew considerably and changes as regards the geographical directions are seen.

New postage stamps showing months in popular tradition

Moldova’s Posta Office on April 13 will put into circulation a series of postage stamps entitled “Months of the year in popular tradition”. The stamps will have a nominal value of 5.75 lei and will be issued in a number of 55,000 copies. The design was drawn up by Lilian Iatsko. A number of 300 envelopes will also be put into circulation. On the first day, they will be sold for 36 lei.

New methods of reporting violations of consumer rights

As of April 11, complaints about violations of consumer rights can be transmitted through the Viber application on 067675544, while from next week these could be left in boxes that will be set up in shopping centers and public eating places. Sergiu Sighi, division head at the National Food Safety Agency, told a news conference that the forms can be downloaded from the institution’s website if the complaints will be submitted online. They could also be found in printed form near petition boxes. The petitions can also be filed in free form, but these not always contain the data needed to examine the complaint. At the first stage, petition boxes will be placed in shopping centers with a large number of buyers. The National Food Safety Agency assures that the personal data indicated in petitions will be confidential. So far this year, since the National Food Safety Agency assumed the responsibilities of the National Agency for Consumer Protection, there were submitted over 300 petitions.

● THURSDAY, April 12

Permissive documents could be asked for at a distance as well

After 265 permissive documents of the existing 416, identified by a study conducted with support from the World Bank, were eliminated in 2016- 2017, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure suggested a draft concept of the automated permissive documents management and issuing system for public consultations. The concept was designed to support the achievement of the objective “Business with clear rules of the game” defined in the national development strategy “Moldova 2020” that was approved in July 2012 and is aimed at further reducing the administrative burden on the business sector. Most of the current permissive documents (151) are to be issued based on the one-stop shop principle.

Siemens chosen to rehabilitate 14 transformer stations in Moldova

The representative office of Siemens SRL Romania will rehabilitate 14 medium-voltage installations in Moldova within a project supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The company was chosen at a contest held by the state-owned enterprise Moldelectrica. In a press release, the company said the rehabilitation of the 14 installations is the broadest project to repair medium-voltage transformer stations implemented by Siemens so far. This is to be competed in two years of the launch of the works, expectedly in the second quarter of 2018.

● FRIDAY, April 13

Moldova and Ukraine liberalize road and air transport

The road and air transport between Moldova and Ukraine will become more liberalized after the governments of the two states on April 12 signed two documents on international road transport and air transport services. In the road transport sector, there was signed a protocol to amend the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of Ukraine of March 20, 1993. The changes were necessary given that trade between Moldova and Ukraine is on the rise. Consequently, the international freight transportation in bilateral regime and in transit for motor vehicles that meet the norms EURO III and up will be possible without authorizations for international transport. The Agreement on Air Services between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Cabinet of Ukraine will regulate the air passenger and freight transport services between the two states.

Moldova’s Railways gets Government’s consent to close 14 railway stations

Fourteen railway stations that generate unjustified maintenance costs will be closed at the suggestion of Moldova’s Railways in a move to optimize the state-run company’s costs. The Cabinet on April 13 approved a decision to exclude the obligation to coordinate the closure of railway stations with the local public authorities. Moldova’s Railways said the 14 stations that will be closed do not have the appropriate equipment and the company unjustifiably spends 20-25 million lei annually for maintaining them. These are the stations: Halta (km 111 and km 1507), Zaim, Kulima, Greceni, Kiriutnea, Mereni, Bahmut, Hiliut, Glodeni-Rautel-Glodeni, Tardea, Cobalea, Ghizdita, and Hadjimus. The employees of these terminals will be transferred to work at other stations situated nearby. The company noted the closure of the terminals will not lead to the modification of train routes.

Moldova to develop customs cooperation with Japan

The Cabinet approved the initiation of negotiations for signing an agreement on reciprocal administrative assistance in the customs area with the Government of Japan. The agreement is aimed at ensuring the economic security of the parties. Reciprocal administrative assistance instruments will be applied to ensure the correct implementation of the customs legislation, to exactly assess the customs payments and to ensure respect for the specific restriction and control measures. Moldova signed such a treaty also at multilateral level, with the World Customs Organization. At bilateral level, Moldova signed customs cooperation agreements with 24 states, such as Romania, Poland, Italy, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkey, Israel and others.

Measures to improve business climate

The Cabinet agreed the plan of action for implementing the strategy for reforming the framework regulating the entrepreneurial activity for 2013-2020. The plan includes over 50 measures. According to Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Kiril Gaburici, the plan envisions the continuation of the optimization of the regulatory framework and administrative procedures. In the fiscal and customs areas, measures will be taken to enable the registration of independent activity online. There will be simplified and standardized the goods clearance procedures, worked out a new Customs Code and implemented the one-stop shop at the border and the computerized transit system. In the area of permissive documents, one-stop shops will be opened in the country’s regions to facilitate the entrepreneurs’ access to the necessary services.

Regulations adjusted to European standards on industrial products

The national technical regulations will be adjusted to the European standards concerning the placing of industrial products on the market. The Cabinet approved relevant amendments and supplements to a number of Government decisions. According to Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Kiril Gaburici, the framework provisions concerning the use of compliance markings for the transition period, will be updated before the coming into force of the agreement on conformity assessment and acceptance of industrial products. The technical regulations on industrial products, such as industrial machines and cable installations that carry persons and measuring devices, will also be amended