● TUESDAY, March 21
Part of Russian gas supplied to Moldova remains on right bank of the Nistru
A part of the Russian gas that is supplied to Moldova remains on right bank of the Nistru River. Until now, the whole amount of gas was delivered to the Transnistrian region.
Moldovagaz CEO Vadim Ceban said that in March Gazprom is to supply a total volume of 176.7 million cubic meters of gas a month or 5.7 million cubic meters a day to Moldova. By the middle of March, the whole amount received by Moldovagaz was directed to Tiraspoltransgaz for the consumers from the left side of the Nistry, including Moldavscaia GRES (Kuchurgan Power Plant), which produces electricity for the right side of the Nistru.
Interest in electric cars in Moldova grows
More people in Moldova use electric cars, with the number of such cars being on the rise the past five years. The number of electric cars and hybrid cars registered in Moldova by private individuals in 2022 was twice higher than a year before. Even if the electric and hybrid cars represent only about 3% of all the motor vehicles registered in Moldova, the perception of the importance of reducing energy consumption in transport has improved nationwide.
Hotbed of Newcastle disease in Chisinau
A hotbed of Newcastle disease (pseudo-fowl pest) was detected in pigeons in the municipality of Chisinau. The National Food Safety Agency said that measures are being taken to eliminate the hotbed.
Part of Russian gas supplied to Moldova remains on right bank of the Nistru
A part of the Russian gas that is supplied to Moldova remains on right bank of the Nistru River. Until now, the whole amount of gas was delivered to the Transnistrian region. Moldovagaz CEO Vadim Ceban said that in March Gazprom is to supply a total volume of 176.7 million cubic meters of gas a month or 5.7 million cubic meters a day to Moldova. By the middle of March, the whole amount received by Moldovagaz was directed to Tiraspoltransgaz for the consumers from the left side of the Nistry, including Moldavscaia GRES (Kuchurgan Power Plant), which produces electricity for the right side of the Nistru.
Interest in electric cars in Moldova grows
More people in Moldova use electric cars, with the number of such cars being on the rise the past five years. The number of electric cars and hybrid cars registered in Moldova by private individuals in 2022 was twice higher than a year before.
Even if the electric and hybrid cars represent only about 3% of all the motor vehicles registered in Moldova, the perception of the importance of reducing energy consumption in transport has improved nationwide.
Hotbed of Newcastle disease in Chisinau
A hotbed of Newcastle disease (pseudo-fowl pest) was detected in pigeons in the municipality of Chisinau. The National Food Safety Agency said that measures are being taken to eliminate the hotbed.
● WEDNESDAY, March 22
Ana Revenco: Joint control at Leușeni-Albița point will start to be applied before Easter
The joint border control at the Leușeni-Albița border crossing point will start to be applied in April. Minister of Internal Affairs Ana Revenco said that before the Easter holidays, waiting time at this post will be considerably diminished. Moreover, the official assured that the Leova – Bumbăta border crossing point will be opened this spring and border traffic will be eased this way.
Victor Parlicov: Decision to take gas for right side from Gazprom wasn’t coordinated
Moldovagaz didn’t coordinate the decision to take gas from Gazprom for the needs of the right side of the Nistru with the Ministry of Energy, said Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov. According to him, Moldovagaz took a part of the gas that hadn’t been consumed by the Transnistrian region. He considers the renegotiation of the contract with Gazprom is inopportune until the audit of the debts of the right side of the Nistru is not finished.
Sweden and Switzerland offer 283m lei to Moldova for on-bill compensations
Moldova received 283.3 million lei from the contributions made by Sweden and Switzerland for offering on-bill compensations to the most vulnerable households. The money was transferred to the account of the Ministry of Finance. The institution said this financial support will enable to provide on-bill compensations through the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund.
The given non-reimbursable funds were announced by the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland at the ministerial conference Moldova Support Platform that was held in Paris on November 21, 2022. The money was disbursed through the agency of UNDP and was planned in the 2023 state budget.
Leu in February appreciated by 1.3% against U.S. dollar
The Moldova leu last month appreciated by 1.3% on average against the U.S. dollar to 18.7924 USD/MDL, as against 19.0482 USD/MDL in January.
New regulations on management of used tires in force from March 23
The producers and importers of tires will be obliged to implement the Extended Producer Responsibility approach as from March 23 now that the Cabinet approved the regulations that define the requirements concerning the collection, reuse and recycling of used tires.
Process of starting and managing remotely a business in Moldova simplified
A business in the Republic of Moldova will be launched and managed from a distance in a simplified way, by using digital instruments. On the initiative of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitization, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill to amend a number of normative documents titled Development of Remote or Contactless Businesses in Moldova.
● THURSDAY, March 23
Lilia Dabija: Soroca-Arionești –Otaci road will be rehabilitated
With the assistance of foreign partners, the Government of the Republic of Moldova aims to rehabilitate the Soroca-Arionești-Otaci road and the works on this road are projected to start soon. Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Lilia Dabija said the Government’s priority is to rehabilitate the national and regional roads as this will offer access to high-quality infrastructure to the citizens, will attract investment and will contribute to economic growth.
Moldovan products to be exhibited in Cluj and Brasov
The exhibition “The Republic of Moldova Presents” will be mounted in Cluj-Napoca in May. Applications to take part can be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova until April 30. It is the first event of the five planned following the signing of an agreement between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova and partners from Romania, the Chamber’s chairman Sergiu Harea told a news conference.
● FRIDAY, March 24
Vladimir Bolea: Exports to Romania exceeded €1bn
Moldova’s exports to Romania passed the record level of €1 billion, said Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea. He noted that the authorities of the two states are looking for new methods for the Moldovan producers to be able to sell their products on the Romanian market. At the same time, exports to the CIS declined by 30% and will decrease further if the war in Ukraine continues.
Ukrainian refugees positively influenced Moldova’s economy, analysis
The Ukrainian refugees had a positive effect on the Moldovan economy. Being hosted on Moldova’s territory, they consumed goods, bringing money into the national budget. They also saved the hospitality industry as they got accommodated at hotels, motels and tourist pensions. Also, the companies from Ukraine saved the Moldovan railways and the transport sector by carrying goods to and from Ukraine, said expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul” Veaceslav Ioniță.
Insurance companies paid out over 958 million lei in settlements in 2022
In 2022, insurance companies paid out a total 958.8 million lei in settlement amounts, 46.4% up on the previous year.
The National Bureau of Statistics showed that insurers collected premiums 2.47 billion lei in gross premiums, a 28% year-on-year increase.
● SATURDAY, March 25
No reasons to expect Gazprom will halt gas supplies, state secretary
The contract with Gazprom remains in effect until 2026, and while the Russian gas giant did cut supplies to Moldova, there are no reasons to expect a complete halt, says Constantin Borosan, state secretary at the Ministry of Energy.
“Today we have gas in storage. For the first time, the government, through the state company Energocom, has stored gas that was bought before the start of heating season, to make sure that in any scenario where gas supplies are affected, we have enough fuel to get through the winter. When these amounts were bought, the situation on the energy stock markets was as it was, with much higher prices. Now we are preparing for next winter. We are preparing to make purchases so that people have enough gas”, Constantin Borosan said during a Radio Moldova talk show.
