● TUESDAY, February 7
Constantin Borosan: Vulcănești-Chisinau power line will be constructed by 2025
The works to build the Vulcănești-Chisinau high voltage power line will be completed in 2025, assured secretary of state of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development Constantin Borosan. According to the official, in parallel with the building of this line, the Moldovan authorities plan to construct the Balti-Suceava power line. Energy experts said that if the government’s projects are implemented successfully, Moldova will become part of the ENTSO-E system separately from Ukraine.
Imports into and exports from Transnistrian region to EU go up
Slightly over 67% of the exports by companies of the Transnistrian region are intended for EU member states. The Reintegration Policies Bureau ascertained an upward trend in the commercial import and export operations performed by Transnistrian business entities registered with the Public Services Agency.
Base rate on monetary policy operations decreased to 17%
The Executive Board of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) on February 7 decided to reduce the base rate applied to the main short-term monetary policy operations to 17%, down from 20% last December. Interest rates on overnight loans and deposits were set at 19% and, respectively, 15% annually, down by 3 percentage points in both of the cases.
Average annual inflation will reach 13.7%, NBM governor
Inflation will continue to reduce rapidly during this year, entering the upper limit of the variation corridor by the end of December. Average annual inflation is set to reach 13.7% this year and 5.5% next year. Statements in this regard were made by the governor of the National Bank of Moldova, Octavian Armașu. According to him, a stronger fiscal impulse is needed to stimulate economic activity during 2023.
● WEDNESDAY, February 8
Value of fines imposed on air operators in 2022 higher than a year before
The value of fines imposed on air operators in 2022 increased as a result of the rise in the number of contravention cases stated against them. As many as 22 contravention cases were started against air operators in 2021, as opposed to 137 cases in 2022. The sum of fines rose from 600,000 lei in 2021 to almost 6 million lei in 2022, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the Border Police.
Official reserve assets at over US$4.6bn at end-January
The official reserve assets of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) at the end of January were US$4.602,70 billion, up US$128.53 million on December 30, 2022, when they totaled US$4.474,17 billion.
NFSA to carry out border inspections based on risk analysis
The National Food Safety Agency (NFSA) will conduct border inspections based on risk analysis. The institution said the application of the EU good practices concerning border inspections based on risk will ensure more efficient control over imported goods by authorizing the placing of products that are safe and inoffensive for human consumption on the market.
● THURSDAY, February 9
Secretary of state: We aim to implement modern waste sorting mechanism
The goal of the creation of the waste management center in Stăuceni is to develop a centralized was storage and sorting system. According to secretary of state of the Ministry of Environment Petru Tătaru, they aim to build a modern waste management platform so as to prevent the appearance of unauthorized waste dumps.
Ruslan Codreanu: Apă-Canal in 2017-2019 had 237m lei revenues
The former acting mayor of Chisinau Ruslan Codreanu said the situation in which Apă-Canal Chișinău found itself is the result of improper management. According to him, Apă-Canal was a profitable entity in 2017-2019, but debts started to be accumulated in 2020 owing to the inefficient way in which the money borrowed from the EBRD was managed.
Employers Confederation concerned over distribution of health care contracts
The National Confederation of Employers considers the distribution of funds to medical service providers to be “non-transparent and unaccounted for”. According to the Confederation, funds have been considerably reduced for some private contractors “without plausible and evidential arguments”. In an open letter to Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița, the Confederation requests institutional support to identify solutions and “restore equity”.
● SATURDAY, February 11
IMF’s Ruben Atoyan praises retired PM Gavrilița: A solid foundation has been laid
The outgoing Government demonstrated unwavering commitment to advance ambitious governance reforms despite extraordinary challenges, stated Ruben Atoyan, of the IMF, on the occasion of resignation of Prime Minister Gavrilița.
Atoyan issued a statement to thank Prime Minister Gavrilița and her government for the “dedication, hard work, and outstanding service to Moldovan people”.
Apa-Canal Chisinau’s historical debts increased from 221 to 575 million lei in four years
From 2018 to 2021, the historical debts of the water utility Apa-Canal Chisinau increased from 221 to 575 million lei. A large part of them are debts to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank, which exceeded 512 million lei as of 2021. In four years, Apa-Canal Chisinau spent more than 160 million lei to repay loans plus interest to by these banks.