Ten Moldovan and Italian speakers who provide financial-accounting and legal consultancy services and entrepreneurs with success stories moderated the first event staged as part of the Diaspora Business Connection Program by the Association of Moldovan Businesspeople Everywhere in Rome on June 14. The participants discussed subtleties of the fiscal system, legal terms and juridical procedures and received recommendations for starting and developing businesses in the context of systemic and economic risks identified in the case of Italy and Moldova.
In a news conference at IPN, the Association’s president Alexei Repede said that businesses in Moldova can be developed in agriculture and the agrifood industry. The entrepreneurs can also invest in agritourism, textile industry, IT and automotive industry. The investment risks in Moldova are related mainly to the inefficient legal framework and the difficult procedures for exporting agrifood products, distribution of electricity through networks and, in general, the under-regulated framework in a number of sectors. Alexei Repede spoke about the distrust in the financial-banking sector, alarming rise in the number of liquidated enterprises, lack of investment guarantees and corruption.
As to the success stories of Moldovan entrepreneurs in Italy, Alexei Repede mentioned Galina Sava who founded “Studio SAVA” – a know-how business recognized on the financial-accounting consultancy services market in Rome, and young entrepreneur Aurica Danalachi, who runs a restaurant and plans to start a business in Moldova as well. “These two ladies and the stories of other participants encouraged to realize the existing potential despite impediments,” he stated.
In the event held in Italy, the Association of Moldovan Businesspeople Everywhere launched the Diaspora Business Help service that will record all the requests for consultancy about the starting and development of businesses. There was also launched the Regional Agricultural Dialogue (DAR) campaign that will center on the challenges and opportunities of Moldova’s agrifood sector.
Speaking about investments in Moldova, Alexei Repede said the Moldovan entrepreneurs from the diaspora in Italy are skeptical about starting a business in Moldova owing to the sociopolitical instability and the distrust that the law will be obeyed.
According to him, the Moldovans would like to return home, but the unfriendly business environment here prevents them from doing so. “In Italy, they feel at large as there are laws that work there and there is safety in tomorrow there. At home, they do not have such safety, as they said,” stated Alexei Repede, noting the goal of the Diaspora Business Connection Program is to bring the diaspora home.
The next event of the Diaspora Business Connection Project will take place in Milan on July 6.
