TUESDAY, January 9
Andrei Spînu: I call on citizens to show responsibility and avoid traveling
The roads are covered with snow and workers of the State Road Administration do their best to make all national and regional roads passable, said Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu. The official called upon the citizens to show maximum responsibility and avoid non-urgent travel.
29 localities remain disconnected from power supply
Almost 8,000 consumers in 29 localities were still disconnected from the electricity grid this morning. The Ministry of Energy said that due to the precipitation, new accidents occurred in the network during the night, which led to the disconnection of other consumers in Ungheni and Falesti districts, but almost 5,000 were reconnected early in the morning, by 8 a.m.
Cabinet comes together for first meeting this year
The Cabinet is to have its first meeting this year on Wednesday. Seven issues are there on the agenda for now.
● WEDNESDAY, January 10
Sergiu Tofilat about alleged debts to Gazprom: It’s a conflict between shareholders
A team of energy experts and jurists is preparing a strategy that will include the official Chisinau’s actions regarding the debts invoked by Gazprom, said energy expert Sergiu Tofilat, a member of Moldovagaz’s Supervisory Board. According to the expert, Moldova cannot sue Gazprom in an international arbitration court, but the subject of the debts to Moldovagaz will be examined in national courts as a conflict between the shareholders of this company.
Fifteen more cases of bird flu recorded
Fifteen new cases of bird flu were reported in Moldova. Twelve outbreaks were detected in birds from non-professional farms, while the others are in the wild. The authorities set up protection zones of 3 kilometers and surveillance zones of 10 kilometers.
Over 1,000 consumers in Rezina district remain without power
Premier Energy Distribution managed to reconnect all consumers affected by the recent bad weather, while 1,328 consumers in Rezina district are to be reconnected immediately after RED-Nord modifies the supply scheme. The Ministry of Energy said that on sections to the five localities, there are multiple conductor ruptures and damaged pillars. Last night, 1,251 consumers in the northern region were reconnected to the grid.
Register of complaints eliminated, deadline for replacing products extended
Cabinet approved a bill to amend 12 normative documents with the aim of facilitating the activity of the business community in Moldova. The register of complaints (register of complaints and suggestions) was eliminated. Thus, any complaint submitted directly to traders or to the Inspectorate will have the same legal value as the one written in the register of complaints.
Cabinet approves concept for EVO government application
Individuals and legal entities will have access to information and functionalities through a government application called EVO. The app will be available for free download through Play Store and App Store. Its concept was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday.
Tiraspol cancels “preferential customs regime” for Dubăsari farmers
The administration of the Transnistrian region cancelled the so-called preferential customs regime for farmers from Dubăsari, who own farmland located beyond the Râbnița-Tiraspol road. Thus, the farmers are obliged to pay taxes into the budget of the Transnistrian region.
Stricter rules regarding transportation of frozen products
The units of transport carrying frozen products will have to be equipped with recording devices to monitor the temperature regularly and frequently, ensuring in this way optimal conditions for storing frozen food. The amendments concern the normative framework on the control of quick-frozen food intended for human consumption and come to increase the safety of frozen products placed on the market.
Deputy Premier Oleg Serebrian: Tiraspol’s steps do not intimidate us
Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian said that the decisions announced by Tiraspol, including the one to cancel the “preferential customs regime” for Dubăsari farmers, do not intimidate the constitutional authorities. According to him, these “response measures” will not make Chisinau to review its position regarding the new provisions of the Customs Code.
● THURSDAY, January 11
Energy Market Operator M to be designated electricity market operator
The limited liability company “Energy Market Operator M” is to be designated electricity market operator responsible for the creation and functioning of organized electricity markets in the Republic of Moldova. This company is a subsidiary of OPCOM, the Romanian electricity and gas market operator.
Larger number of people declare real estate leasing to Tax Service
An increasing number of people inform the State Tax Service about the fact that they lease out real estate and pay income tax in this regard. As many as 24,763 real estate leasing contracts were registered, up almost 17% compared to 2022.
Expert-Grup: Domestic producers are caught between hammer and anvil
The legal norms providing that domestic producers can sell their alleged surplus from their own homestead are difficult to meet, especially by those who practice trade occasionally. As trade by the roadside is forbidden and access to the market for domestic producers is quasi impossible, conditions are created to perpetuate the risks of corruption and abuse on the part of players involved in the implementation of the related legal provisions.
Common charger to be introduced in Moldova too
All electronic devices in Moldova will have a standard charging equipment, the USB-C connector. This was announced by Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Dumitru Alaiba.
“From 2024, the USB-C connector has become the standard in the EU for all electronic devices. We will follow suit and prioritize the introduction of this standard in the Republic of Moldova as well”, said the minister.
● FRIDAY, January 12
Non-prepacked food will be accompanied by information about possible allergens
Non-prepacked food products will have to be accompanied by information about possible substances that cause allergies or intolerances. These data must be written in a visible place that does not alter over time and must not be obscured by other written or photographic information. Such provisions are part of a bill that was presented by the Ministry of Health for public consultations.
Lilian Carp: All economic agents must be on equal footing
The new Customs Code, which stipulates that the economic agents from the left bank of the Nistru River must pay import duties, is a step towards the reunification of the Republic of Moldova. PAS MP Lilian Carp said that the legislation is applied uniformly throughout the country, and economic agents from the Transnistrian region must be treated on the same footing as those from the right bank of the Nistru.
Viorel Furdui: 52% of localities have fewer than 1,500 inhabitants
Some 52% of the localities of the Republic of Moldova have fewer than 1,500 inhabitants, said the executive director of the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM) Viorel Furdui. According to him, village depopulation should not be yet the basic argument in the voluntary amalgamation process. Viorel Furdui is skeptical about the process of merging localities, noting that the sociopolitical situation in the country is not conducive to the amalgamation process.
Natural gas consumption was higher last December
Natural gas consumption in December 2023 was 137.8 million cubic meters, which is by 35.4% more than in December 2022. At the same time, according to Moldovagaz, compared to November 2023, the figure grew by 54.2 million cubic meters or by 64.8%.
Moldovans spend more on wasted food than on health and education
Moldovans spend on food that they later throw away more than on health, entertainment and education. In Moldova, food loss and waste in 2023 amounted to 19.2 billion lei, of which about 12 billion lei was only food waste, said Veaceslav Ioniță, economic expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”. According to him, the Moldovans are wasteful, but not the most wasteful in Europe.
About 1,300 Ukrainian citizens found a job in Moldova
Moldovan economic agents over the past almost two years have employed 1,292 citizens of Ukraine, of whom 897 are women and 395 are men. Most Ukrainians work in Chisinau, ATU Gagauzia and Balti municipality.
● SATURDAY, January 13
Balanced approach is required so as not to disrupt creditors' relations with farmers, state secretary
The issue of farmers who experience difficulties in paying to creditors is treated responsibly and the approaches of all parties must be balanced so as not to disrupt creditors’ relations with farmers, said secretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Sarban after the second meeting of the commission for the analysis of problems invoked by farmers during the protests mounted in November 2023.
On the way to EU, Moldova’s agriculture will go through big and difficult transformations, expert
On the way to the European Union, Moldova’s agriculture will go through great and difficult transformations, given that it is very different from that in most of the EU member states, said expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul” Viorel Chivriga. According to him, farmers’ associations must also be involved in the negotiation process.
