● MONDAY, August, 28

Employers urge to amend Labor Code

The National Employers Confederation of Moldova expresses its bewilderment at the President’s decision, following consultations with the National Trade Unions Confederation, not to promulgate Law No. 188 to amend and supplement the Labor Code. The National Employers Confederation describes this decision as detrimental to the business community and says that the businesses are deprived of the possibility of explaining the necessity of such changes. The business community said this law should be promulgated, explaining that the current labor legislation mainly does not stimulate the activity of business entities. It calls on the President of the Republic of Moldova to show equidistance during the consultations on economic and social subjects he holds and calls upon Parliament to reexamine Law No. 188 to amend and supplement the Labor Code, keeping the existent position.

Volume of transfers from abroad goes up

The amounts sent from abroad to private individuals through authorized banks this July came to US$105.30 million, up 8.4% on last July. Some 35.3% of the transfers came from the Russian Federation. According to the National Bank of Moldova, US$ 37.18 million was sent from Russia. The share of 35.3% of the total decreased by 3.8% compared with July 2016. Transfers from Israel represented 15.2% (US$15.98 million), from Italy – 12.4% (US$13.04m), the U.S. – 7.9% (US$8.33m), the UK – 4.9% (US$ 5.20m). Transfers from Germany represented 4.7% (US$4.97 million), from France – 2.7% (US$2.84m), from Turkey – 1.3% (US$1.38 million) etc. By the type of currency, the transfers in U.S. dollars accounted for 49.7% of the transfers, down 1.1% on July 2016, in euros for 39.3%, up 3.3%, in Russian rubles for 11%, down 2.2%.

● TUESDAY, August, 29

EBRD team to come to Moldova to discuss strategy for 2017-2022

The EBRD Managing Director for Economics, Policy and Governance Mattia Romani will pay a visit to the Republic of Moldova during September 25-27 to discuss aspects of the strategy of cooperation for development and economic growth between the Republic of Moldova and the EBRD for 2017-2022. Om October 23, Moldova will be visited by a delegation of the EBRD Board of Directors that will constitute a platform for consolidating the cooperation between Moldova and the EBRD and will approve projects financed by the Bank, including in the energy efficiency sector.

● WEDNESDAY, August 30

Octavian Calmac: Producers consider Russian market an alternative one 

The Moldova producers consider the Russian market an alternative one, not a main one, Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Octavian Calmac stated in the program “Emphasis on today” on TVR Moldova channel. The minister said the Republic of Moldova wants to restore the relations with the Russian Federation because this market should not be ignored. “Regrettably, the discussions held by President Igor Dodon in 2016 and 2017 do not produce results. We hope that this year we will yet witness some improvements. We hope the customs duties that go against the Free Trade Agreement with the CIS will be annulled,” stated Octavian Calmac. The minister noted he banks on the fact that the exports to China will increase in the future given that the growth rate the last few years was of 50% a year.

Vladimir Garaba: Law that bans use of plastic bags requires regulations 

To implement the law that bans trading in plastic bags, the authorities should immediately adopt the regulations concerning packing and packing waste, Vladimir Garaba, head of the Chisinau local organization of the Ecologist Movement, stated. He said the regulations were proposed for public debates two years ago, but haven’t yet been submitted to the Government for approval, for unknown reasons. According to the ecologist, the regulations should stipulate all the restrictions required for the plastic bags to stop being produced and imported so that they are gradually withdrawn. “This process can be controlled. All the plastic bags that we buy at the market, for example, are sold in large specialized stores. These bring plastic material to Moldova and make plastic bags here and offer them for sale. If restrictions are imposed on production and import, these bags will be gradually removed,” stated Vladimir Garaba.

Moldova, Georgia to cooperate to stimulate commercial relations 

The Cabinet on August 30 approved a decision to initiate talks on the draft agreement of cooperation in standardization, metrology, compliance assessment and market surveillance between the Government of Moldova and the Government of Georgia. The goal of the agreement is to mutually recognize the standardization systems, accreditation organisms, accredited trial labs and trial results on the territory of both of the states. The agreement will be signed for an indefinite period of time and will take effect after the sides perform all the required internal procedures.

Agreement with NEFCO proposed for ratification 

The Government approved a draft law on the ratification of the framework agreement between Moldova and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) that was signed in Chisinau on June 21 this year. The document was adjusted to the objectives of the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environmental Partnership (E5P). The agreement will take effect when it is ratified by Moldova’s Parliament and is signed for an indefinite period. The Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) is an International Financial Institution established by the Nordic Governments in 1990. NEFCO provides results-based green financing. All projects to be financed by NEFCO need to be able to demonstrate that they will benefit the environment/climate in a cost-effective way. To ensure that these benefits will in fact materialize, financing is released in tranches against monitored milestone results.

● FRIDAY, September, 1

Economy Ministry to negotiate extension of program to train managers in Germany
 

The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure will initiate negotiations with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany on the extension of the Moldovan-German program to train managers for enterprises operating in different sectors of the Moldovan economy. The program was launched in 2009 and expires on January 1, 2018. As many as 270 managers have been trained within it so far. Many of them established relations with partners from Germany.

One-stop shop works improperly, expert 

Even if the Republic of Moldova has a law on the one-stop shop for facilitating entrepreneurial activities, this works improperly and the businesses complain about bureaucracy and delay in document issuing, expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul” Viorel Parvan stated in the program “15 minutes of economic realism”. According to Parvan, the one-stop shop exists only on paper at a time when the businessmen face the same corruption-related problems and lose time and money for obtaining permissive documents. “The key reasons that hamper the work of the one-stop shop include the lack of a common conceptual understanding of the “one-stop shop” principle, insufficient interconnection between institutions, lack of electronic exchange of information between authorities, poor cooperation between public authorities/institutions in providing public services, institutional resistance and resistance of public functionaries and political interference,” stated the expert.

Russia bans import of 19 tonnes of plums from Moldova 

Inspectors of Russia’s food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor sent back 19 tonnes of plums from Moldova as a result of phytosanitary checks at the international auto checkpoint “Novyie Yurkovichi”. According to a press release posted on the website of Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, the oriental fruit moth (Grapholitha molesta Busck) was detected in the 19 tonnes of Moldovan plums and the consignment couldn’t thus go further.

Investments in industrial parks at 53.4m lei in first half of year 

A sum of 53.4 million lei in investments was attracted into the ten industrial parks of Moldova in the first half of this year. The figure for the last six years stands at over 1.1 billion lei. According to the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, the production of industrial parks’ residents in the period rose by over 43% to 781.3 million lei. On June 30 this year, the residents of the industrial parks employed over 2,700 people, by 559 persons more than in the first half of last year.

Foreign direct investment up 24% 

The net foreign direct investment in the first half of this year increased by 24% compared with the corresponding period last year. According to the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, the net FDI came to US $40.2 million following the net rise in liabilities by US$ 41.9 million and the net rise in assets by US$ 1.7 million. The investors from Moldova in the period made FDI in the form of shares bought in foreign companies, to the value of US$ 1.5 million. The foreign direct investors paid US$ 0.2 million of their debts to resident daughter companies.

● SATURDAY, September, 2

Goods worth over 100m lei seized in customs posts so far this year 

The value of the undeclared or contraband goods seized in customs posts in the first half of this year totals 102.4  million lei, an increase of about 60% compared with the corresponding period last year. If the seized goods are criminal assets, special confiscation is applied by the decision of the court of law or the ascertaining body. Under the regulations approved by the Government, the goods are transmitted by the authorities that seized them to the State Tax Service for being sold. The goods that cannot be sold, processed or used as recyclable waste and those confiscated based on the provisions of the law on tobacco and tobacco products are destroyed. A relevant decision is taken by the head or deputy head of the tax inspectorate.