● MONDAY, July 17

European track gauge to be laid from Chisinau to Odessa

In connection with the switchover by the Iasi-Chisinau railway line to European gauge, a European track gauge will be laid from Chisinau to Odessa, IPN reports, quoting Dumskaya.net, which said the existing 1520mm network will be supplemented with a European-standard 1435mm gauge.

The announcement was made by the Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development. He made reference to the study by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, which says the European track gauge on lines to Lviv and Chisinau, with extension to Odessa, should be deployed as a first step to improving connections between Poland and Ukraine, and between Romania and Moldova.

AIPA receives applications for subsidizing excise duty on diesel fuel

The Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA) started to accept applications for subsidizing the excise duty on diesel fuel. Applications can be submitted to the local offices of the AIPA by July 31.

“Force of Farmers” seek moratorium on penalties on loans raised by grain and oilseed producers

The association “Force of Farmers” asks to immediately convoke a meeting with the Prime Minister of Moldova and to urgently introduce, by the decision of the Commission for Exceptional Situations, a moratorium on the calculation of penalties, delay interest and other commissions paid by micro, small and medium-sized producers that grow mainly grains and oilseeds to creditors, until December 31.

● TUESDAY, July 18

Radu Marian: VAT to business entities of Gagauzia will be refunded from local budget, not from national one

PAS MP Radu Marian put forward a legislative proposal according to which the VAT to business entities of Gagauzia will be refunded from the local budget of the territorial-administrative unit, not from the national budget, as at present. According to the MP, the current law allows for inequity as the budget of ATU Gagauzia consists of taxes and duties paid by local business entities, while the VAT is refunded from the budget of the whole country.

€170 million needed to rehabilitate all streets in Chisinau, study
The budget deficit for maintaining roads in the municipality of Chisinau is of €170 million. The sum includes only the road structure, without the replacement of networks, says a study of the inventorying of streets in the municipality. In the same connection, the head of the General Urban Mobility Division Vitalie Mihalache said the municipality allocated 1 billion lei for the rehabilitation of roads within the limits of existing funds.

Energocom signs memorandum with Nuclearelectrica

The Moldovan state company Energocom signed a memorandum of understanding with Romania’s Nuclearelectrica. The document seeks to explore options for ensuring the delivery of energy produced by Nuclearelectrica from the new reactors that are to enter commercial operation, mainly Units 3 and 4 of the Cernavodă Power Plant, as well as to support the development of capacities and skills of human resources in the field of nuclear energy, announces the Moldovan Ministry of Energy.

Air Moldova extends suspension of flights until August 16

Air Moldova has announced it is further suspending all of its flights until August 16 inclusive. Passengers will be notified by email with the refund and rebooking options.

The airline said in a press release that refunds for canceled flights are being processed continuously. Passengers who purchased tickets online on the airline’s website will receive a refund upon request on the card with which the ticket was purchased. Passengers who purchased tickets through agencies will be able to receive cash or card refunds once the airline’s commercial and operational activity resumes.

● WEDNESDAY, July 19

Moldovan airspace is safe, CIA manager

The airspace of the Republic of Moldova is safe, assured the manager of the Chisinau International Airport (CIA) Constantin Vozian. The country’s airspace is partially open, while the corridor to Romania, which is used by aircraft, is safe. In this connection, the Airport’s chief said there are preconditions for a number of low-cost companies to operate flights from Chisinau.

Government approves bill on energy performance of buildings

The energy performance of buildings will be better monitored and the new buildings will have to meet minimum standards in the field. The Government approved a bill on the energy performance of buildings, which regulates the certification of energy performance so that the potential buyers or dwellers are informed about the energy efficiency of apartments.

Road Fund to be raised

A sum of 736 million lei will be additionally transferred to the Road Fund for maintaining the 5,951 km of national roads, including for repairing regional roads that are in a poor state, as the Government decided on Wednesday.

Victor Ciobanu: Officially, we are in recession

Moldova’s economy is in recession and forecasts show that a modest growth of up to 2% will be recorded by the end of this year, said economic expert Victor Ciobanu. According to him, a slight economic growth will be seen due to agricultural production as the harvesting period started. The economic model of Moldova is detrimental as the country “exports” citizens and imports goods.

Nonbank lending under NBM’s scrutiny Solutions to over-indebtedness of citizens

The high rates and loans with interest of hundreds of percentage points continue to be a burden for many citizens who raised nonbank loans. As from July 1, the area has been supervised by the National Bank of Moldova (NBM). The institution aims to come up with policies to remedy the over-indebtedness of citizens. The issue was developed in the podcast “Give sense to money” by NBM vice governor Constantin Shchendra.

Changes initiated by NBM in connection with supervision of insurance sector

As from July 1, 2023, the National Bank of Moldova has had much broader duties. The institution now supervises also the insurance and nonbank lending sectors of which the National Commission for Financial Markets was earlier responsible. In the podcast “Given sense to money”, NBM vice governor Constantin Shchendra said the transfer of duties should not cause inconveniences to citizens and should facilitate their access to high-quality services.

Consumers will be able to choose gas supplier

Parliament adopted a bill that regulates the separation from and certification of natural gas transmission system operators. When the process of separating the transmission system is over, there will be more natural gas suppliers on the market and the consumers will be able to choose the gas supplier, as they do in the case of the Internet service or other providers.

U.S. Government offers Moldova US$220m in grant funding for energy projects

The Government of the United States will provide US$220 million in grant funding to Moldova for implementing investment projects in the energy sector. The bill to ratify the 15th amendment to the development objective assistance Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the U.S. Government for sustainable economic growth anchored in the European integration was given a first reading, being supported by 55 MPs.

USAID launches grant program for wine exporters

A 13 million lei grant program to promote Moldovan wine exports and diversify markets has been launched as part of the USAID Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Project. Exporters can access grants of up to one million lei per company, depending on the business category.

Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, noted that Moldovan wines have seen a true revolution in recent years, moving from bulk exported wines to quality wines, developing Protected Geographical Indications. Bottled wines account for 43% of the total volume and generate 70% of the total revenues of Moldovan wine exports.

2024 Tax Policy adopted in second reading

Starting next year, businesses will be able to deduct more expenses for employees on the 12% individual income tax. These are expenses for employee training or expenses for contracting medical services for the benefit of the employee in the amount of an average national salary. Gifts in kind given to employees, including vouchers, as well as those given to their minor children on the occasion of Easter holidays, Christmas, March 8 or birthdays can also be deducted. It will be possible to deduct expenses related to gym memberships, in the amount of up to 50% of an average monthly salary, expenses for optional health care insurance in the amount of an average monthly salary and expenses for alternative care services for children aged 0-3 years in the amount that does not exceed 2,500 lei per child per month. The provisions are contained in the 2024 Tax Policy, adopted by Parliament in the second reading.

Natalia Gavrilița and Vitalie Lemne appointed members of the NBM Supervisory Board

Ex-prime minister Natalia Gavrilița and CNPF vice-president Vitalie Lemne have been appointed members of the Supervisory Board of the National Bank of Moldova (BNM) for a term of seven years. Their candidacies were proposed to Parliament following a selection process by the relevant parliamentary committee.

● FRIDAY, July 21

Vitalie Gorincioi: Apple and plum crops this year are larger

The apple and plum crops this year are very good and are larger than last year, said the president of “Moldova-Fuct” Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters Vitalie Gorincioi. According to him, a part of the apple and plums that will be gathered will be consumed internally, but the largest quantities will be exported. The CIS market remains the main export market for apples, while the Moldovan plumps conquered the EU market and 60% of the plum production goes to EU member states.

Moldova experiences third wave of migration, of young people

The Republic of Moldova is confronted with the third wave of migration and, what is more dramatic, is that it goes to the migration of young people. Almost 35% of the young people who began to study at a university in Moldova in 2019 didn’t complete the studies as they chose to go abroad. The data were presented by economist Veaceslav Ioniță.

“New digital solutions for wine industry presented at Wine&Tech forum

New digital solutions for the wine industry were considered at the first edition of the Wine&Tech forum held in Chisinau. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea said that without digitization and advanced technological processes, Moldova’s agriculture will be unable to cope with the stiff regional and global competition. Technologies and digitization in agriculture mean cheapening of production process and facilitation of sale.

Draft decision to subsidize mortgages for Chisinau employees subject to public debate

The persons employed in a subdivision of the territorial-administrative unit Chisinau municipality could have the costs associated with the mortgage raised for buying a home subsidized. The relevant draft decision of the Chisinau Municipal Council was proposed for public consultations

The monthly subsidy will be of up to 2,000 lei. This will not exceed the monthly payments related to the mortgage, calculated since the applicant obtains the status of recipient of the subsidy.

● SATURDAY, July 22

PAS lawmakers: All conditions are there for peaceful dismantlement of Tiraspol regime

The Transnistrian region is economically dependent on the Republic of Moldova, and this that creates conditions for a peaceful dismantlement of the Tiraspol regime, thinks PAS lawmaker Oazu Nantoi.

“In February 2002, the 5+2 format was created in Bratislava, where Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE are mediators, and we and those on the left bank (of the Nistru River) are parties to the conflict. The situation has changed dramatically after the annexation of Crimea. Obviously, Ukraine does not want to sit at the negotiating table with Russia anymore, in any format”, MP Oazu Nantoi said during a public affairs show on TVR Moldova.

Vendor patent reform: about 1,100 former patentees migrated to independent activity

About 1,100 former vendor patent holders have migrated to the new self-employment tax regime in three weeks of the entry into force of the new rules. They bought a cash register, went to the Tax Service to register and can already work legally. This was announced by Dumitru Alaiba, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization.

This year’s wheat harvest expected to exceed 1.2 million tonnes

Moldovan farmers expect a good wheat harvest this year, of over 1.2 million tonnes. The spring rainfall was favorable for the first-group grains. The average output nationally will be 3.6 tonnes per hectare, Vasile Şarban, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, told Radio Moldova.

World Bank to support assessment of Moldova’s district heating systems

District heating systems in Moldova will be evaluated for technical condition and future development courses of action. The national assessment of thermal energy potential and the roadmap for sustainable district heating systems will be carried out with the support of the World Bank, the Ministry of Energy announced.