● MONDAY, October 19

Turkish experts to give seminars on food safety in Moldova

The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency TIKA, together with the National Food Safety Agency of Moldova, will stage a training course for 50 employees of the Agency on October 21-23. The seminars will involve employees of the Agency’s local offices. The organizers aim to increase the employees’ awareness of the European production norms so that the Moldovan products of animal origin become more competitive on the domestic and foreign markets. The training seminars will be given by professors of the University of Ankara, the University of Canakkale and by specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Turkey.

Train to Iasi will set off from Chisinau at a different hour

Moldova’s Railways said the train running on the Chisinau –Iasi (Socola station) route will travel according to a new schedule from October 25. For the conveyance of passengers, the train will set off from Chisinau at 6:45am and will arrive at Socola at 10:46am. Now the Chisinau – Iasi train begins its journey at 6:17am and end it at 10:20am. From the Socola station to Chisinau, the route will suffer no modifications and the train will set off at 5:20pm, as now.

Decision about concession of Chisinau airport will be made public in November

The commission that is examining the legal reasons and preconditions for terminating the contract for the concession of the Chisinau International Airport will present its final conclusions by November 6, Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet announced in a press briefing. He said that so far the commission presented a report that shows that the company managing the airport didn’t fulfill its commitments. “The sums invested and confirmed by documents on the executed works are now lower than the level that was to be reached by August 30, 2015. The commission set up to assess these reasons presented a report that is over 100 pages long. It reveals a number of reasons showing that the managing company didn’t honor its commitments,” stated the Premier.

Premier promises farmers will get overdue subsidies by end-October

The sums for the overdue subsidies for last year will be fully allocated by the end of this month. Thus, the about 23 million lei will be paid to farmers by October 30, Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet said in a press briefing on October 19, after a  meeting with representatives of associations of agricultural producers. “We agreed that the overdue payments, which total about 23 million lei, will be cleared in the nearest future,” stated the Premier. He promised they will also identify financial resources for paying the compensations promised to fruit producers that were affected by the ban on import imposed by Russia. “The 45 million lei in overdue compensations were to be earmarked by amending the state budget. The amendment bill that was submitted to Parliament does not yet envision this, but the necessary money will be identified by the additional effort of the Government and Parliament. We will find a solution for these 45 million lei to be paid by this yearned,” said Valeriu Strelet.

● TUESDAY, October 20

Prosecutors seize documents from “Moldovagaz”, “Moldtelecom” and “Metalferos”

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) said a number of documents concerning the economic-financial activity of SA “Moldovagaz”, SA “Moldtelecom” and SA “Metalferos” were seized as part of the procedural measures taken within the investigations into the activity of a number of state-owned companies with dominant positions in the market launched following accusations made in the October 15 sitting of Parliament. In a communique, the PGO says the given documents and the actions of the administration of the three companies will be analyzed to see if abuses were committed and the authority was misused and if the public interests and the interests of end-users of services were affected. On October 19, legal action was taken over abuse of power committed by persons who manage companies involved in the supply and transportation of electric power, which resulted in considerable damage to the public interests, namely to the state and the citizens of Moldova.

● WEDNESDAY, October 21

Company manager gets four years for illegally obtaining €1.7m loan from BEM

The manager of a company was sentenced to four years in jail for obtaining by fraudulent means a loan of €1.7 million from Banca de Economii (BEM). The accused was arrested in the courtroom, immediately after the judgment was passed. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, while managing the firm, the offender presented three land assessment reports to the BEM. Based on these, the bank released a loan of €1.7 million to him in October 2011. As a result of investigations, prosecutors established that the given reports were false.

Moldovan producers taught how to export agrifood products

About 30 economic entities are taking part in a training course centering on the export of agrifood, textile and other types of products to the EU on October 20-21. These are familiarized with the requirements of EU importers. The training course for groups of Moldovan producers was staged in the context of the implementation of the Association Agreement between Moldova and the EU. “We set the goal of informing the economic entities as they are now the main group as regards exports. The association I represent supports the groups of producers by providing information about the marketing techniques and export procedures and about how to negotiate a contract for entering the EU market,” said Mariana Rufa, executive director of the European Business Association. According to the organizers, the economic entities wil be able to acquire practical skills for exporting fresh and processed fruit.

Technical assistance project for implementing DCFTA launched

The Ministry of Economy and the EU Delegation to Moldova on October 21 launched a technical assistance project designed to support the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA). The two-year project has a budget of €2.3 million. On this occasion, Deputy Prime Ministry and Minister of Economy Stephane Bride thanked the EU for the permanent assistance provided to Moldova, saying this is the second technical assistance project that supports the implementation of the DCFTA. To help Moldova implement this agreement, the EU will offer €30 million in financial support in 2014-2016. The first tranche of €8 million has been already disbursed. The second tranche in the same amount will be allocated in 2015.

Women entrepreneurs from 17 villages offered grants to develop businesses

Seventeen women from rural areas are supported by the Joint Integrated Local Development Program to start and develop businesses. They received grant certificates worth about US$5,000 each at a ceremony staged within the Exhibition “Farmer 2015”, where about 40 women entrepreneurs displayed the goods they produce at a common stand under the theme “Good business at home”. The Program is implemented by the Government in partnership with the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), with financial support from the Governments of Denmark and Sweden. The Program supports 30 target communities to develop the local economic environment within the National Decentralization Strategy of Moldova that was approved by Parliament in April 2012.

● THURSDAY, October 22

Moldova expects to increase exports to EU by 16%

The Moldovan authorities hope the European assessment mission that will come to Moldova to examine the animal products intended for export in November will allow extending the range of products of animal origin exported to the EU. According to Deputy Minister of Economy Octavian Calmac, the higher exports of animal products to the EU could help increase the general exports by 16%. “We hope the economic entities that are interested in exporting such products will be active and will file applications for being inspected,” the official said in an international conference entitled “Let’s benefit more from the DCFTA (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area)” on October 22. “When our economic entities meet the set criteria, they will be allowed to export products of animal origin to the EU market.”

● FRIDAY, October 23

European official: We will continue to assist you in implementing DCFTA 

“The Republic of Moldova made progress during this first year of the signing of the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement. We saw stability in the relations with the Republic of Moldova, even if this was influenced by a series of internal factors such as the banking crisis, which can influence trade only negatively,” said Luc Devigne, unit head at the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission. The official voiced hope that the destabilizing factors will be eliminated. In the international conference “Let’s benefit more from the DCFTA”, Luc Devigne stated that the EU is impressed by the dedication by which Moldova and Georgia implement the Free Trade Agreement. “We will continue to support Moldova in the process of implementing and benefitting from the Association Agreement and its component the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement,” he stated.

Iurie Topala: Privatizing “Moldova’s Railways” would be most stupid mistake 

The director of the state-run company “Moldova’s Railways” Iurie Topala considers privatizing the company would be the most stupid mistake and this won’t be a solution for overcoming the difficult financial situation experienced by it. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, Topala said the problems faced by the company could be solved, for example, by ensuring a new railway connection with Ukraine, which will increase freight traffic following an agreement to restore the railway segment between the stations Berezino, Odesa and Basarabeasca. “If they keep me here, they will no longer want to privatize as I will increase the assets to about 30 billion lei, from the 2 billion lei today. If this company is sold, it should be at least sold at a high price, not at a derisory one. Privatizing “Moldova’s Railways” would be the most stupid mistake. This would be the limit,” stated Iurie Topala.

Moldova has enormous trade potential and DCFTA is an opportunity, EU commissioner 

The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the EU offers Moldova a big opportunity to realize its potential in the area of trade. Moldova must do more reforms so as to fully benefit from the provisions of the DCFTA, but it is worth the effort, EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom said in a conference centering on trade and the DCFTA, which involved representatives of the business community and other interested sides. Cecilia Malmstrom said that owing to the free exchange of goods and services and of people too, both of the signatory sides of the DCFTA gain a lot. This accord provides a number of opportunities, such as the exchange of innovations and ideas. But anyone will say that this free trade is possible in particular conditions and that the safety of goods must be ensured, that developed infrastructure is needed, etc.

Chisinau Tax Inspectorate makes announcement 

The fiscal administration divisions operating in the districts of Chisinau municipality will receive fiscal reports/statements from natural and legal persons regardless of the legal address of legal persons and the domicile/place of residence of natural persons. According to a communique of the Chisinau Tax Inspectorate, starting with October 19 the taxpayers - natural persons who perform entrepreneurial activities and legal persons - can submit fiscal reports to any local tax body, regardless of their legal address and place of residence.

Victoriabank has new Administration Board 

The Extraordinary General Assembly of shareholders of Victoriabank elected a new Administration Board by a cumulative vote on October 23. The assembly was attended by shareholders and their representatives who own 92.33% of the voting shares. According to a press release of the bank, the attending shareholders unanimously voted for ending the tenure of the current Administration Board before time.

Gasoline prices go down 

Nineteen oil companies, five of which fuel importers, have so far informed the National Agency for Energy Regulation about their intention to reduce the retail prices of gasoline. Thus, the average selling price of gasoline will decrease by 1.3%, from 18.17 lei/liter at the beginning of August, when the gasoline prices were modified last, to 17.93 lei/liter.

● SATURDAY,  October 24

European Commission increases export quotas for several Moldovan products 

The European Commission extended the preferential access to the EU market, above the volumes set in the Association Agreement, for a number of Moldovan products, mainly grains. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry informs the economic entities that the quota on the export of wheat, flour and agglomerates in the form of pellets to the EU was increased. There was also raised the preferential export quota on barley, flour and agglomerates in the forms of pellets and processed grain (24 tariff positions, including ethyl alcohol with alcohol content of at least 80%). The European Commission’s consent was received following the notification of the European Union of the reaching of 80% of the set indicative quotas. The set indicative volumes can be exceeded based on the argumentation by Moldova of the existence or rise in the production and export potential.