Chisinau demands that Transnistria annul 100% tax on certain products

Moldovan officials requested the Transnistrian authorities to review and modify the internal documents so that the tax of 100% on certain goods be annulled as it affects the economic relations between companies. The request was made in a meeting of the confidence building working group on economy and trade, Info-Prim Neo reports. Representatives of the Transnistrian administration said the 100% tax on the import of Moldovan products into the region was put following the regulations approved by Moldova in 2006, but this tax is not applied now on the agrifood products and medications. Given the progress made in this area, the representatives of Chisinau asked the Transnistrians to review the internal documents. The Transnistrian officials enumerated a number of problems concerning the correspondent relations between the banks from the left and right sides of the Nistru, including as regards the conversion of currency and the licensing in the banking sector. They asked considering the possibility of opening correspondent bank accounts at the National Bank of Moldova for performing foreign currency operations. It was agreed that the Transnistrian side will work out a cooperation mechanism and present it to the National Bank of Moldova for consideration. The representatives of the Moldovan constitutional authorities informed the dialogue partners about the progress made in the talks on the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU and invited them to take part in the negotiations as observers. For their part, the representatives of Transnistria asked being informed about the EU requirements in the discussed areas, saying the Transnistrian authorities have not yet taken a final decision as regards the region’s participation in the European integration process. The sides agreed to hold a new meeting of the working group in the near future so as to continue the discussions and identify solutions to the existing problems.