The European Union continues to support the economic development of rural areas in Moldova. The EU transferred a payment tranche of 13.16 million euros to the Moldovan treasury under the Economic Stimulation in Rural Areas Budget Support Programme (ESRA BSP), IPN learned from a press release of the EU Delegation.

This disbursement follows an extensive evaluation by the competent European Union services of the tranche payment terms. It reflects a 94% technical and financial achievement rate by the Moldovan government, as the maximum amount of the variable tranche was 14 million euros.

Pirkka Tapiola, head of the EU Delegation in Chisinau, told a press conference that the payment “demonstrates that a constructive and effective partnership between the European Union and the government of Moldova does have a real impact on the working and living conditions of ordinary citizens living in the rural areas of the Republic of Moldova by creating new small and medium sized businesses, generating well-paid jobs and improving farming and agricultural enterprises’ business performance in a globalised economy".

The total EU financial support to the ESRA BSP programme during 2010-2014 is 72 million euros. The main programme objectives are to develop better economic policies at country and sector level, to increase business activities in rural areas and to bring more transparency, accountability and effectiveness in the country’s Public Financial Management (PFM) systems.

The major accomplishments of the Moldovan government under the 2013 ESRA BSP activities include the delivery of over 450 training person days to the staff of several ministries and agencies, the creation of over 280 new rural businesses by young entrepreneurs through the National Programme for Economic Empowerment of Youth (NPEEY), the provision of over 75 loan guarantees to rural-based businesses through the Moldovan Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Organisation’s Loan Guarantee Scheme (ODIMM LGS) and many others.