The Ministry of Economy for this year forecasts an economic growth of 3.5% according to the pessimistic scenario and of 6.5% according to the optimistic one, Minister Octavian Calmac told a news conference where he presented the Ministry’s priorities for 2017, IPN reports.

The main sectors of the national economy that will fuel the GDP growth up to 6.5% will be: agriculture – by 0.7 percentage points, industry – by 1.2 p.p., services – by 3.3 p.p., net taxes on products and imports – by 1 p.p., gross fixed capital formation – by 2.7 p.p.

“In 2017 we aim to attract US$250 million in foreign investment to the national economy, which is by about 30% more than in 2016. We hope to increase exports to US$2.250 billion and to thus ensure a 10% growth compared with last year,” stated the minister.

It is anticipated that the free economic zones and industrial parks will attract US$86 million in foreign investment, twice more than in 2016.

Octavian Calmac also said that the Ministry of Economy this year will allocate 105 million lei for supporting different activities to promote national products and services in the private sector. An additional sum of 84 million lei will go to support the SMEs, alongside the money available within projects financed by foreign donors. About 200 million lei will be used to support infrastructure and energy efficiency projects.

Among the priorities of the Ministry, Octavian Calmac mentioned the activities to increase Moldovan products’ competitiveness on the domestic and foreign markets, negotiation of free trade agreements with China, Egypt and other counties, further improvement of the business sector, elimination of bureaucratic barriers in the relationship between state institutions and businesses, and restructuring of the quality infrastructure system.