● TUESDAY, August 9
National Road Transport Agency sets new tariff ceilings
The cheapening of fuels influenced the road transport tariffs down. The National Road Transport Agency announced the new tariff ceilings that take effect on August 8. These are by 0.02 lei lower than the ceilings set on July 25 due to the recent decreases in the price of diesel fuel. Even if insignificantly, the reduction in the fuel prices led to a decline in road transport tariffs. As the Agency decided, the tariffs for regular inter-district services for comfort category II will be 0.87 lei/km, while for comfort category I will be 0.96 lei/km. For district carriers, the tariff for comfort category I will be 0.95 lei/km, while for comfort category II will be 1.06 lei/km.
Price of gasoline decreases to April level
The prices of gasoline and diesel fuel have declined. The National Agency for Energy Regulation for Wednesday set a price ceiling of 26.79 lei for a liter of gasoline COR 95, down 0.24 lei on today, and of 26.25 lei for a liter of diesel fuel, down 0.23 lei. The price of gasoline this way will decrease to the April level, when it was under 27 lei/liter.
Commission for Exceptional Situations allows importing sawdust. Andrei Spînu: We get ready for winter
The Government is looking for solutions to cope with winter. The Commission for Exceptional Situations allowed the import of sawdust and non-conglomerated wood waste used as raw material to make solid biofuel during the state of emergency, said Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu. The Commission for Exceptional Situations decided that in order to cope with a potential halt in the supply of gas from Gazprom, SA “Termoelectrica” was authorized to urgently purchase crude oil for ensuring a minimum reserve of 20,000 tonnes.
Sport for re-equipment and implementation of energy efficiency measures
The SMEs will benefit from support for re-equipment of businesses and increasing of energy efficiency. A relevant support program was launched by the Agency for Entrepreneurship Development. “Through the agency of this program, the small and medium-sized enterprises will benefit from non-reimbursable assistance from the state in the amount of 50% of the value of the investment project, but not more than 2 million lei, or 1.5 million lei for equipment and installations for producing renewable energy that will ensure the reduction of electricity consumption by at least 15% compared with the existing consumption,” stated Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița.
Inflation peak is forecast for October-November, NBM governor
The inflation peak is expected in October-November and a downward trend is anticipated to follow later on condition there are no new shocks. The food products and regulated products remain the main sources of inflation. The forecasts were presented by the governor of the National Bank of Moldova Octavian Armașu in a news conference on Tuesday. “The annual growth rate of food prices will reach the highest level in the first quarter of the forecast period and will then follow a downward trend, starting with the next quarter. The annual pace of regulated prices will rise until the end of this year and will then significantly decline starting with the first quarter of 2023. The annual rate of fuel prices will increase in the first two consecutive quarters covered by the forecast and will decrease considerably starting with 2023 until the end of the forecast period,” stated the governor.
● WEDNESDAY, August 10
Russia bans import of agricultural products from most of Moldova’s districts
The Russian Federation from August 15 bans the import of agricultural products from almost all the districts of the Republic of Moldova. The announcement was made by representatives of Russia’s food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor. “The reason for the ban is the recurrent identification of dangerous quarantine objects in Moldovan products that enter Russia, about which the Moldovan side was repeatedly informed,” the Russian news agency Ria Novosti quoted representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor as saying.
Deputy Premier: If contract with Gazprom is maintained, we will have more advantageous calculation formula
If the contract with the Russian company Gazprom is maintained and the gas supplies are not halted, as from October 1 the Republic of Moldova will have another formula for the calculation of the price of gas. This is much more advantageous and the purchase price of gas should decline. If this happens, the gas rates could be reviewed, said Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
Basic premium for civil liability insurance raised
The basic premium for internal civil liability motor insurance is increased to 1,350 lei. The National Commission for Financial Markets adjusted the formula for calculating this premium. The new tariff will take effect when the Commission’s decision is published in the Official Gazette.
Energocom authorized to buy and store gas
The state-run company Energocom will have the legal authority to purchase and store natural gas, after the Cabinet on Wednesday approved a resolution to this effect. The document also introduces the requirement for Energocom to sign with suppliers of last resort a public service obligation framework agreement. The sale of natural gas to suppliers of last resort shall take place in cases where the delivery of natural gas from the market under ongoing contracts is suspended or limited; also, when the need arises to supply consumers with amounts of natural gas additional to those established in ongoing contracts, or if the price of natural gas delivered by Energocom is lower than the price of natural gas contracted by suppliers of last resort.
● THURSDAY, August 11
Details about program to help SMEs reequip businesses and increase energy efficiency
Entrepreneurs can apply to the re-equipment and energy efficiency program intended for small and medium-sized enterprises so as to benefit from grants to purchase equipment that will reduce electricity consumption. They will be able to invest money in solar panels with heating systems or photovoltaic panels for producing electricity and in other installations. Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, said that 55 million lei was allocated for buying equipment. Besides solar and photovoltaic panels, the grant can be used to purchase mini Aeolian installations for generating electrical energy, technological equipment for producing biogas and thermal heating installations.
IMF team reaches staff-level agreement with Moldovan authorities
The IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Moldovan authorities for policies needed to complete the first review under the program. The agreement is subject to endorsement by the IMF’s Executive Board, which is scheduled to consider this review in September. SDR 20.65 million (about US$27 million) would become available after the Board meeting, bringing total disbursements under the program to about US$245 million, IPN reports, with reference to the IMF Mission to Moldova.
Briquette prices are twice higher, but demand remains high
The energy crisis makes the Moldovans look for alternatives. The demand for solid biofuels increased significantly after the gas and electrical energy grew in prices. The producers of briquettes from biomass experience a shortage of raw material and this way incur higher costs. Consequently, they doubled the prices. Last winter, a tonne of briquettes was sold for 3,200 lei, but now the price is 6,000-7,000 lei, RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service says on its website.
● FRIDAY, August 12
New gas rate takes effect
The natural gas is more expensive as from today, August 12. The decision by which the higher rate was approved by the National Agency for Energy Regulation took effect after being published in Official Gazette. The consumers will pay 21.296 lei per cubic meter of gas without VAT (plus VAT of 8%).
In Moldova there are only 38 centralized irrigation stations
Only 38 centralized irrigation stations function in the Republic of Moldova, which is an agrarian country that is more often affected by drought. Ten of these were built with funds provided by the U.S. The annually irrigated area of about 60,000 ha is only a small part of the farmland that is 2 million ha in area in Moldova, IPN reports, with reference to RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service.
● SATURDAY, August 13
Companies will not get compensated for gas price hike
At this point, the Government doesn’t plan any gas price compensations for companies; rather, the price increase will be reflected in consumer price hikes and therefore it’s the population who needs compensations the most, says Economy Minister Sergiu Gaibu. During a talk show on RLive TV, Gaibu said that the Government is instead preparing support programs for entrepreneurs that will help them modernize their equipment and achieve increased energy efficiency.
Poșta Moldovei to morph into joint-stock company
The state-run Poșta Moldovei (Moldovan Mail), the national postal operator, will be reorganized into a joint-stock company to attract investment, foreign as well as domestic, according to a draft Government resolution. The measure, according to the draft, will make the company more stable and stimulate its growth. In the last five years, there has been a decline in the investments made by Poșta Moldovei in postal services. Peaking in 2019 at 19 million lei, investments dropped to 9 million lei in 2020, and in further to 6 million lei in 2021.
