The credit line of the Support to the Wine Industry Program financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) will become fully operational in September, Minister of Finance Veaceslav Negruta informed, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. According to the minister, all the formalities have been finished. They are now preparing to open the tender contest to select the banks that will support the credit line. A guide about the financing procedures is being produced. Asked if the interest rates on the given loans could be lower, one-digit, Veaceslav Negruta said it would be hard to reduce the rates as they include the commissions of banks, the organizations that manage the program and of the EIB. “Things will become clearer towards autumn,” said the minister. The European Investment Bank provided €75 million to Moldova to finance the increase of the quality of the wine industry. The money will go to purchase the equipment needed by the wine quality testing laboratories, to open research and personnel training centers, to buy and give equipment in leasing to farmers, and to release loans to wine companies through banks. The EIB’s loan is repayable in 12 years at an interest rate of at most 3%. The grace period is four years.