The economic growth in Moldova can be achieved by attracting foreign investments and national investments too. For the purpose, the environment for investments must be safe. The Government initiated a number of legislative changes in this respect, being assisted by the foreign partners as well. The issue was discussed in the Democratic Party’s Forum “Development of Moldova: economic growth for the people’s welfare”, IPN reports.
The chairman of the Democratic Party (PDM) Marian Lupu said the team that he heads worked out a strategic economic development plan for the next four years. “The details of this strategy will be made public. The theme of today’s forum suggests that the people’s welfare cannot be ensured without economic growth. However, the economic growth alone cannot automatically ensure beneficial effects that the people will feel. We must attract investments from abroad, from the West and the East. We will make changes to the fiscal legislation. We are for the introduction of a common tax in agriculture. We will promote the facilitation of conditions for starting and developing businesses and the adoption of clear norms so that the economic entities are not terrorized by the inspection bodies. We have very ambitious, but necessary ideas. We need to improve infrastructure so as to manage to attract investments,” he stated.
Marian Lupu noted that investments come now to Moldova, but the built plants and factories do not have workforce. “There are a lot of specialists who are not in demand on the labor market, but there are no specialists in other areas, where they are needed. We will draw increased attention to the SME sector and will help mainly the new businesses that will bring value added to the Moldovan economy. I’m sure that our people have the necessary abilities to develop new economic sectors,” he said.
The politician underlined that the Association Agreement signed with the EU is a challenge, but also an extraordinary chance for developing the economy and for ensuring welfare. “Unlike other political parties interested only in the political aspects of this process, the PDM will focus on the economic component of this accord. Moldova must join the large European family not as a weak and underdeveloped partner, but as an economically developed partner, with dignity. The PDM realizes the importance of the moment and aims to change the economic structure. The creation of a safe environment for investments cane ensure economic growth and, as a result, workplaces and decent living conditions. I’m sure that by a systemic approach, we will manage to create tens of thousands of workplaces,” stated the chairman of the PDM.
Marian Lupu also said that the European standards should not frighten us. “We should not forget that we compete with similar products on other markets too. Until our products are of a poorer quality, we will not manage to increase sales. The main rivals of the Moldovan producers are not the European suppliers, but those from our neighboring country Ukraine and from Belarus,” he stated.
The deputy head of the PDM Andrian Candu, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, said that despite the constant economic growth, Moldova recovered only about 40% of the welfare enjoyed by the people at the start of the 1990s. “If we continue like this, we will need at least another 20 years. But the people want to live better now. To ensure revolutionary growth, we need revolutionary ideas. In this process we count on information technology that can ensure a revolution in the business sector,” he stated.
He also said that the government is considering methods of directing the remittances coming from abroad to the economy so that they contribute to economic growth, and less to consumption. An idea is for the people to offer money for different state projects with a guarantee of 4-5% a year. “This is an idea that we started to analyze. Society does not know, but in June 2013 – June 2014 there were created 48,000 jobs. As to the security of the banking system, we are now working with our development partners, including the World Bank, on the legislation needed to ensure bank shareholder transparency and to guarantee the deposits. The capital market is probably the biggest shortcoming as neither the shares segment nor the bonds segment was developed,” stated Andrian Candu.
The forum brought together more than 200 representatives of the business sector, experts from different areas of the economy, Democratic ministers and leaders who debated business-related problems, the prospects of developing businesses in Moldova and the investment opportunities. The final goal was to identify the best solutions for developing the economy for the people’s benefit.