● MONDAY, November 21
Access to two bridges on M5 road opened
After repair works that lasted for a year and a half, the bridges on the M5 road (border with Ukraine-Criva-Balti-Chisinau-Tiraspol-border with Ukraine), located on the 38.34th km and 24.93km, were opened to vehicle traffic. The investments totaled 37 million lei, with the money being fully allocated from the Road Fund, IPN reports, quoting the State Road Administration.
Unions demand 5,000 lei minimum salary
The National Confederation of Trade Unions (CNSM) sent a formal note to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and to the State Chancellery to object to the draft decision setting the minimum monthly salary for the next year at 4,000 lei. The Confederation, which claims a membership of about 300,000 employees, suggested it won’t settle for less than 5,000 lei.
● TUESDAY, November 22
Court of Auditors ascertains faults in work of Moldovagaz
Some of the activities, processes, procedures and transactions planned and performed by SA Moldovagaz and the persons responsible for governance haven’t fully met the compliance criteria that govern this holding. The value of losses in the gas distribution process accepted for being added to the gas charge is of only 919.3 million lei, while the value of supernormal losses was 1.022,8 billion lei, show the results of the audit of SA Moldovagaz conducted by the Court of Auditors.
Moldova has same blood as united Europe
Representatives of 45 countries and institutions gathered in the French capital for the third ministerial conference of the Moldova Support Platform to increase and consolidate their promised support to Moldova. The event was held on the initiative of France, Germany and Romania.
State to partially subsidize interest on investment loans raised by SMEs
The state will partially compensate the interest rates on loans taken out by small and medium-sized enterprises for investment purposes. It goes to companies that raised loans in lei before August 1. These will be able to obtain a subsidy equal to two percentage points of the cost of interest, but not more than 300,000 lei. The subsidization mechanism and the online platform were presented in a news conference staged by the Organization for Entrepreneurship Development (OED) on Tuesday.
Gazprom says a part of gas supplied to Moldova remains in Ukraine
Gazprom asserted that a part of the natural gas it supplies to the Republic of Moldova in accordance with the contract signed with SA Moldovagaz remains in Ukraine. The Russian company said that if an imbalance in the transit of gas via Ukraine for Moldovan consumers is maintained, on November 28 it will start to reduce the amount of gas supplied to the Sudja gas metering station. Moldovagaz director Vadim Ceban said that Moldovagaz will come with an official comment later.
● WEDNESDAY, November 23
EIB plans to provide €150 to €170m to Moldova in 2023
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union, in 2023 expects to provide loans to Moldova, blended with grants and technical assistance, of approximately €150 million to €170 million. The funding is expected to cover a wide range of projects focusing on energy efficiency and climate mitigation in line with the European Green Deal initiative in the region, responding to the country’s needs in the health and digitalization sectors, and investing in Moldova’s agri-food sector.
Chisinau International Airport back under state management
The Chisinau International Airport returns under state management, Minister of Justice Sergiu Litvinenco has announced, making reference to the decision taken recently by the Chisinau Appeals Court. According to the minister, the court decision is definitive and executory.
Avia Invest: Decision to rescind airport concession contract will be appealed
Avia Invest considers the Chisinau Appeals Court’s decision to terminate the contract for the concession of the Chisinau International Airport is illegal and intends to challenge it in the Supreme Court of Justice. It noted that the illegal rescinding of the concession contract costs the state over €90 million.
Made in Moldova” exhibition returns with jubilee edition after two-year break
After a two-year hiatus, the exhibition “Made in Moldova” returns with a jubilee edition, the 20th. This will take place during February 1-5 and the organizers anticipate it will be a large-scale event that will bring together over 300 companies from all the country’s districts. Details were presented in a news conference that was held to launch the registration of participants in the event.
Moldovagaz comments on amounts of gas supplied in November
SA “Moldovagaz” noted that the gas transmission system operators of Ukraine and Moldova always ensured the natural gas amounts indicated in the nominalizations it confirms are accurately distributed. This is confirmed by the monthly commercial documents signed between “Moldovagaz” and “Gazprom” and between the transmission system operators of Ukraine and Moldova.
● THURSDAY, November 24
Constantin Borosan: Electricity consumption fell by 15% on corresponding period last year
As long as Ukrainian energy infrastructure is the target of military attacks, widespread power outages in Moldova can repeat, said secretary of state of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development Constantin Borosan. According to him, Moldova currently purchases 80% of the necessary electricity from Romania, while the rest of power is produced on the right side of the Nistru.
Tourism can and should become key sector of the economy, minister
The authorities aim to turn Moldova into a competitive and sustainable tourism destination that can provide economic, social and environmental benefits to the current local communities and the future generations. A Tourism Sustainability Commitment by which the Republic of Moldova will align its tourism industry with the global practices was signed in Chisinau today.
Fund for Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth created
The MPs gave a final reading to the bill to constitute the Fund for Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth, adopting it. The fund will offer access to financing in advantageous conditions to small and medium-sized enterprises in Moldova. The Fund for Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth of Moldova will have the status of internal subdivisions of the Organization for Entrepreneurship Development. As a result, there will be used such financing instruments as loans, total or partial subsidization of loan costs and other financing mechanisms.
U.S. offers US$19.5m in non-reimbursable assistance to Moldova
The Republic of Moldova will receive an additional US$19.5 million in non-reimbursable assistance from the United States for strengthening energy security. Parliament on Thursday ratified the 14th Amendment to the Assistance Agreement on the development objective signed with the U.S. Government.
● FRIDAY November 25
Serious financial irregularities identified at Air Moldova
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that serious financial irregularities were detected following an unplanned inspection at Air Moldova airline. According to the institution, these can seriously affect the operator’s functionality and the safety of the planned air operations. The CAA requested the company to suspend the sale of tickets to destinations for which there is no correspondingly approved schedule or authorization for exploiting the regular route.
Vadim Ceban: Purchase price of gas in December is expected to be lower
The president of Moldovagaz does not rule out the possibility that preconditions for adjusting the natural gas rates down can appear this winter. Vadim Ceban noted that if the downward trend in the purchase price of gas continues the next months, the company will be able to cover the tariff deviations it accumulated in 2022. Gazprom in December could supply Moldova with the same volume of natural gas, which is 5.7 million m3 a day.
Oleg Tofilat: We plan to buy 1,000 grain wagons from Poland
Some 40% of the national rail network is in a critical condition, said the director of Moldova’s Railways (CFM) Oleg Tofilat. According to him, the war in Ukraine makes the authorities take urgent measures to rehabilitate and modernize rail infrastructure. An important part of the railroads started to be repaired and new wagons and locomotives will be purchased thanks to the support of foreign partners.
CMC approves provisional water charges
The Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) approved higher water supply and sewerage charges. The new charges are provisional and will take effect when the relevant decision is published in the local media. Under an adopted amendment, these will be applied until the National Agency for Energy Regulation issues its notification.
NAER: Chisinau Council’s decision to raise water charges is illegal
The Chisinau Municipal Council’s decision by which the charges for public water supply and sewerage services are raised runs counter to the legislation, the National Agency for Energy Regulation noted in a press release. Under the legal norm, the charges are approved in accordance with the methodology for determining, approving and applying the charges for public water supply and sewerage and/or wastewater treatment services and only after the NAER approves them.
Air Moldova calls order to stop selling tickets ‘unfounded and illegitimate’
Air Moldova considers the Civil Aviation Authority’s order for the airline to stop selling tickets for the 2023 summer season to be “unfounded and illegitimate”. The airline’s reaction comes after the Authority said that it found “serious financial irregularities” at Air Moldova following an unannounced inspection.
● SATURDAY, November 26
Andrei Spînu: Causes of Termoelectrica accident are investigated with SIS support
The circumstances of the accident that occurred at Termoelectrica are analyzed by two groups of inquiry. It goes to an internal inquiry and an external investigation involving representatives of the Security and Intelligence Services, said Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu. According to him, representatives of the company assured that the fault will be remedied by December 20. The Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development said there is no connection between the requests to increase the electricity charges and the accident at Termoelectrica.
Iulian Rusu: Assets worth 7 billion lei were sequestrated
The state institutions sequestrated assets to the value of 7 billion le in the bank fraud case and in other high-profile cases, said the director of the National Anticorruption Center (NAC) Iulian Rusu. According to him, it is hard to seize property located in other countries and the process requires cooperation with foreign institutions.
Joining of Single Euro Payments Area will bring faster and cheaper payments, vice governor
Together with Moldova’s entry into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the citizens will be able to easier transfer money from one account to another. For companies, as for the citizens, the cost will be much lower and the speed will be higher. The payments will be swifter and cheaper for ordinary citizens both through banks and through payment service providers. Representatives of the National Bank said the financial system is the third interested party. However, to connect to the SEPA, the system needs to make effort to improve the quality of internal systems and norms, to invest and modernize itself.
Agriculture engages over 21% of people able to work in daily activities
Minister of Aeroculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea said there is no other more important sector with bigger potential than agriculture. Agriculture has been the most important sector of the national economy. It engages over 21% of the people able to work in daily activities. This determines the economic development basis and the main orientation direction of the Government policies. Also, the agricultural products account for about 40% of the exports.
Leu appreciated against U.S. dollar at end-October
The Moldovan leu at the end of October deprecated by 0.1% in average values against the U.S. dollar to 19.4245 USD/MDL, from 19.4072 USD/MDL in September.
