'The new system for importing meat and meat products must protect first of all consumers' interests so that the population does not pay double prices for these products,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said at a meeting centering on the creation of a new system for importing products of animal origin, Info-Prim Neo has learned from the Ministry of Economy. The meeting was attended by over 50 representatives of meat producers, processors and importers. The participants discussed the abrogation of the Government Decision that imposed import quotas on meat and the necessity of working out a new strategy for importing meat products. Valeriu Lazar said the new mechanism must ensure a real price, a high quality of the products and the integrity of the taxes and customs duties. The abrogation of the Government Decision on the import of fish and fish products had positive effects. The prices of fish and fish products decreased by about 30%-50% during the first week of the abrogation. “Though the authorities promised to allocate about 350 million lei subsidies in agriculture a year, the meat producers received no money. If the import quotas are annulled, the producers must be paid subsidies for every kilogram of meat sold. Otherwise, the national meat producers will close their businesses and hundreds of people in rural areas will remain without jobs,” said a representative of the Meat Producers Association of Moldova. All the procedures for importing and producing meat and meat products will be reviewed in the near future so as to remove the useless barriers imposed by the state. A number of rules will be formulated for the meat producers and sellers. The rules will motivate them to make considerable investments for a longer period of time, the Ministry of Economy says in a communique. The new import system is to be finalized by October 27, 2009.