● MONDAY, January 15
Applications to LEADER Program, call II, can be submitted from Jan. 15
Applications to take part in the LEADER Program, call II, will be accepted between January 15 and February 23. Local Action Groups (LAGs) will be selected and local development strategies for obtaining financing from the National Fund for Agricultural and Rural Development will be approved.
A pack of cigarettes will cost not less than 38.5 lei from April 1
Starting with April 1, a pack of cigarettes will be sold for not less than 38.5 lei. The sale of cigarettes below the reference price will be punished with fines, IPN reports, with reference to the State Tax Service.
NBM to assess insurance companies for governance reliability
The National Bank of Moldova has set its priorities for the supervision of the insurance sector in 2024. The institution will assess whether insurance companies have a solid and reliable governance system, which includes a clear organizational structure, with well-defined, transparent and consistent lines of responsibility, as well as with effective risk identification, management, monitoring and reporting processes.
TUESDAY, January 16
Farm owners can apply for grants of up to US$1 million
Farm owners can obtain grants of at most US$1 million. The AGGRI project launched the first call for applications. A grant can be of not more than US$1 million, provided that the amount does not exceed 50% of the eligible investment.
Government hosts Career Fair
The Government hosted a Career Fair at which it presented job opportunities in its ministries and agencies. Salary offers start from 8,000 lei, while for managerial positions can reach 25,000 lei. Employers are looking for specialists with higher education and experience in the field, but they are also ready to employ young people who recently graduated from universities.
Trade unions speak out against Labor Code amendment on cancellation of unused leave
The National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova is against the proposal to cancel the unused annual leave and submitted an opinion to this effect to the State Chancellery. Trade unionists stress that the adoption of this amendment to the Labor Code will lead to the submission of requests both to the Constitutional Court and the International Labor Organization to examine its compliance with constitutional and international norms to which Moldova is a party.
● WEDNESDAY, January 17
PM attends World Economic Forum in Davos
Prime Minister Dorin Recean is taking part in the World Economic Forum in Davos during January 16-18. He will have a number of bilateral meetings with heads of state and government at which he will promote Moldova’s economic agenda.
Oazu Nantoi about meeting in Tiraspol: An uninspired game
It was an uninspired game on the part of both sides, said MP of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) Oazu Nantoi, commenting on the meeting of Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian and Tiraspol’s representative Vitaly Ignatiev following the entry into force of amendments to the Customs Code, which require economic agents from the left bank of the Nistru to pay customs duties to the budget of the Republic of Moldova. For his part, the leader of the Coalition for Unity and Wellbeing (CUB) Igor Munteanu said that as the Transnistrian region has blackmail levers in relation to the government in Chisinau, the legislation may not be respected.
State Tax Service auctions confiscated goods
The State Tax Service has announced an auction to sell confiscated goods, intended for economic agents that have a commercial network, production or storage units.
Customs Service: All Transnistrian economic agents complied with new Customs Code
All the economic agents of the Transnistrian region complied with the requirements set down by the provisions of the new Customs Code and there are no essential problems related to logistics. Also, all the economic agents located on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which do not have fiscal relations with its budgetary system, have treasury accounts and, when the obligation to pay customs duties arises, these are paid in full, without impediments, the Customs Service specified following public discussions about the implementation of the new Customs Code as of January 1.
Victoriabank buys BCR Chișinău
Victoriabank SA has acquired BCR Chișinău. Thus, ten banks licensed by the National Bank of Moldova have remained in the Republic of Moldova.
Germany to finance SME development and urban infrastructure projects
Moldova will benefit from non-reimbursable financial assistance from Germany for SME development and urban infrastructure projects. The parliamentary commission for foreign policy and European integration approved the advisory opinion on the initiation of negotiations and approval of the signing of the draft agreement with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
● THURSDAY, January 18
Victor Parlicov: Moldovagaz is preparing request to reduce gas charge
Moldovagaz is formulating a request to decrease the gas charge addressed to the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE). Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov said that a decision on the issue could be taken in February as the Agency’s procedure for reviewing charges will take more time now, unlike the period when the country was in a state of emergency and charges were changed quickly.
Chisinau International Airport has RMO abbreviation as of Jan. 18
The Chisinau International Airport has a new abbreviation as of today, January 18. The RMO sign will now appear on the flights board.
● FRIDAY, January 19
Dorin Recean: Moldova is interested in implementing joint projects with Bulgaria and Poland
We are determined to carry out a number of joint projects with Bulgaria and Poland for the benefit of the citizens of the countries. Bulgaria and Poland support Moldova’s European path, Prime Minister Dorin Recean said after the meetings he had in Davos with the leaders of the two states.
NBM will analyze key indicators in work of nonbank lending entities
The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) in the course of this year will analyze key indicators in the work of entities operating in the nonbank lending sector, focusing on several components. These include business model, governance and internal control, related risks (credit risk, operational risk, market risk) and capital adequacy.
Lufthansa airline returns to Chisinau Airport
One of the largest airlines in Europe – Lufthansa – will provide again flights from the Chisinau International Airport. It will start to operate regur flights on April 29, 2024.
Moldova and Ukraine join Vertical Gas Corridor
Moldova and Ukraine have joined the Vertical Gas Corridor, which connects Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Launched in 2016, the Vertical Corridor will now integrate the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline and allow natural gas to be transported from Greece to Moldova and underground storage facilities in Ukraine. This was announced by Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov.
● SATURDAY, January 20
People borrowed more from banks last December
In December 2023, new loans represented 5.48 billion lei, a 16% increase compared to November. Most of them, 4.08 billion lei or 74.4%, were loans in the national currency, which is by 17.9% more compared to the previous month, the National Bank of Moldova reported.
In December, new deposits increased by 61.5%
In December 2023, new deposits attracted by banks amounted to 5.92 billion lei, increasing by 60.7% compared to November 2023, the National Bank of Moldova reported.
Mihai Isac: Chisinau doing everything possible to bring back Transnistrian region to constitutional field
The authorities in Chisinau are doing everything possible to bring the Transnistrian region out of the gray area and back into the constitutional field of Moldova, says the political pundit Mihai Isac.
