The Government is building and will continue building a European Moldova, where all residents enjoy good living conditions. The building of Moldova is not a one- or two-day process. This process takes time and everyone’s support is needed, Prime Minister Dorin Recean stated in the plenary sitting of Parliament, where he presented the executive’s progress report for 2023. The presentation of the report lasted for about half an hour, while the questions-and-answers session exceeded two hours. The opposition didn’t hesitate to criticize the Government, while some of the MPs also sought the resignation of the Cabinet, IPN reports.
According to the Premier, the Government worked on several concurrent directions in 2023. The economic development and welfare growth was the first line and peace and security was the second line. Beyond Russia’s military aggression in the neighboring country, Moldova is also attacked by hybrid means from inside and outside, but the Government ensures peace and stability.
“Anticorruption and justice sector reform. This is the most difficult reform we need to do. At the same time, integral justice is the pillar of sustainability of any reform. Without integral justice, we cannot ensure welfare for all citizens, if only for the sneaky and corrupt ones. Punishing the corrupt and recovering the stolen money will restore citizens’ confidence in the law enforcement institutions,” said Premier Recean.
The European integration is another direction. According to the Premier, the process of joining the EU helps Moldova to have more financial resources to invest in people’s welfare, and the business community to have access to the largest and richest market in the world and thereby to create jobs and ensure higher salaries for Moldova’s citizens.
“We had a year in which Moldova’s economy recovered from the consequences of multiple crises witnessed in 2022 due to Russiass war against Ukraine. We ended the year with economic growth and with inflation falling to 4.2%. In the face of all challenges, our foreign friends continued to support us. The European Union is the main trading partner of the Republic of Moldova. 2/3 of exports go specifically to the European market and in 2023 we had record exports of cherries, table grapes and plums. The exports of services saw an increase of 12%, especially in the fields of telecommunications, information, transport and construction,” noted Dorin Recean.
The Prime Minister took stock of a number of implemented and ongoing projects, including the European Village program, which continued through the European Village Express component, with 989 ongoing development projects and investments worth about 1.5 billion lei from the resources of the National Fund for Regional and Local Development. “Access to vital services for communities was facilitated, providing water supply for about 80,000 inhabitants in 78 localities and sewerage for about 50,000 inhabitants in 10 localities,” stated the official.
According to him, about 530 kilometers of national, regional and local roads were built and rehabilitated, while the health system was turned into one that is capable of providing the population with real access to high-quality medical services, safe, efficient and affordable medicines, as well as viable solutions for the treatment and prevention of diseases.
“The agricultural sector saw a significant growth in 2023, being one of the main pillars that supported the national economy. Our wines conquer the world, winning leading positions at international competitions, and have now reached over 75 countries. The export of table grapes increased by about 47%, while the export of grapes for wine doubled. Milk production rose by 15 percent, being stimulated by the state’s policy of granting direct payments per animal.
“In 2023, the Government focused on promoting a stimulative budgetary policy, oriented towards stability and reforms that favor economic recovery and growth. Budget revenues increased by 11.8%, with 102.3 billion lei being collected. “Since October 1, within the support package “Bonus for Moldova”, we managed to ensure pay raises for medical staff and theater people and also one-off payments for teachers and non-teaching staff, rescuers, policemen and carabinieri. By the end of 2023, the state-owned enterprises contributed approximately 87 million lei to the budget, while state-owned joint stock companies transferred dividends in the amount of over 215 million lei,” said Dorin Recean.
As for the energy sector, the official noted that, for the first time in 30 years, Moldova is energy independent, cannot be blackmailed by Gazprom and has the freedom to buy gas at the most appropriate price, in the interests of the citizens.
In another connection, the Prime Minister said that, despite the hybrid threats of the Kremlin and the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the official Chisinau manages to align the territory on the left bank of the Nistru to the objective of peace and stability. “The country’s European path is not an impediment to the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. On the contrary, the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict will be achieved only by peaceful ways and our citizens on both banks of the Nistru already fully benefit from the advantages of this integration,” stated the official.
Dorin Recean also stressed that 2023 was a decisive year for the process of joining the European Union. The European Council’s historic decisions to grant the candidate status to the country and then to open accession negotiations were an important success for the Republic of Moldova. It is an indisputable merit of President Maia Sandu, of the parliamentary majority, of the team of functionaries from ministries and agencies, but also of the overwhelming majority of the citizens of this country who support the irreversible path of European integration.
