● TUESDAY, January 28
e-Government Center offers new electronic services
Two new electronic services will be accessible to economic entities – Electronic Fiscal Invoice and Register of Inspections, executive director of the e-Government Center Stela Mocan said in a session of public debates. There were will be also launched the services e-Authorization for Water Use and e-Authorization in Transport. The priorities were set in accordance with the results of a survey carried out among entrepreneurs. The businessmen said they want a common authorizations platform to be created and business registration/liquidation services, construction authorizations and clearance scheduling to be accessible in digital format. The businessmen will also be able to register the property with the Cadastre Office online. In the event, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said the provision of as many electronic services as possible is aimed not only at facilitating the lives of people and economic entities, but also at modernizing the national economy. Chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry Gheorghe Cucu said the costs of these services should be reduced too.
● WEDNESDAY, January 29
Transnistrian businesses will not be affected if they do not implement Association Agreement with EU
The businesses in Transnistria will not be affected if they do not carry out the provisions of the Association Agreement, respectively of the Free Trade Agreement, with the EU, economic analysts said in the program “Moldova Live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1. Economic analyst Alexandru Fala said problems will appear when the region from the right bank of the Nistru River implements the agreement’s provisions, while the Transnistrian companies do not as it will be harder and harder for them to meet certain standards and this can lead to a decline in Transnistria’s exports. Problems can also appear in time in the sale of certain products made in the eastern districts on the right bank of the Nistru. The analyst also said that the regions from the left and right banks of the Nistru face similar problems and these problems can be solved after the agreement is signed. Economic analyst Adrian Lupusor said the Transnistrian authorities’ resistance to this agreement can be understood. “Currently, the situation is rather convenient for them. The status-quo suits them. On the one hand, they benefit from the open EU market because the economic entities can freely export to the EU, without duties. At the same time, the Transnistrian administration imposes import taxes that are extremely restrictive. This way they protect the region’s internal market,” he stated.
“Made in Moldova” exhibit opens in Chisinau
The 13th national exhibition “Made in Moldova” opened in Chisinau on January 29. The exhibit brought together over 270 national producers that displayed a wide range of food and nonfood products. For the first time, folk groups from Anenii Noi, Criuleni and Ialoveni districts will take part in the event with an artistic program. Chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry Gheorghe Cucu said the participants in the exhibit represent all the sectors of the national economy. The exhibition’s theme is “Quality – Competitiveness”, which is also a program of the Government and the real sector of the economy for the near future. Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said that when he sees products with the label “Made in Moldova”, he has a feeling of pride. “I often travel to the east and the west and see more and more products of a high quality with this label. This means that we are on the right way,” he stated. The Premier underlined that the executive will take measures to improve the conditions so that the national producers could invest cheap money in competitiveness enhancement on a long term.
● THURSDAY, January 30
Moldova has to pay over 50m lei in dues
Moldova this year is to pay 51.1 million lei dues of member of international and regional organizations. The Government confirmed this by approving a relevant decision. The highest dues are for the Council of Europe (approximately 6m lei), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (over 4m lei), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (3m lei), the World Health Organization (2.6m lei), the International Labor Organization (2.2m lei), and the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly (2.1m lei).
IMF staff team concludes visit to Moldova
The staff team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that visited Chisinau during January 15-29 found that the Moldovan economy has recovered strongly from the 2012 severe drought. The mission led by Max Alier held discussions with the authorities regarding policies that could form a basis for a Fund supported program. According to a press release of the IMF, in 2013, economic activity is projected to have increased by 7½ percent, inflation remained close to 5 percent, the general government deficit narrowed to 1.8 percent of GDP, and external accounts continued to improve. At the conclusion of the visit, Max Alier said the mission made progress in understanding the economic and financial policy priorities of the government.
Assets of banks from right bank of the Nistru are 9 times higher than on left bank
The assets of the banking system from the right bank of the Nistru River are almost nine times higher than the assets of the banks from the Transnistrian region. The two banking systems are disproportional both as regards the size and the structure. Such a conclusion was reached by Ion Tornea, author of the study “Prospects of the country’s reunification by bringing closer the banking sectors of the Republic of Moldova and the Transnistrian region,” published by the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul”. Ion Tornea stated that the Transnistrian banking system is a closed one, subordinated to the political class, which allows lending to the public administration. But this is banned by the Moldovan legislation. The information about shareholders is absent. Moreover, the framework regulating the banking system of Transnistria was ‘borrowed’ from Russia. Ion Tornea formulated a series of recommendations for creating interaction mechanisms that would include representatives of the business community and civil society.
Discussions with IMF will continue until Board’s meeting
The Moldovan authorities and the International Monetary Fund will discuss a new Fund supported program until the next meeting of the IMF Board, Liliana Vitu, spokeswoman for Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, stated. The local press reported that the IMF mission that paid a visit to Moldova left without reaching an agreement with the authorities. Liliana Vitu said the goal wasn’t taking a final decision on a new program. “It was agreed to continue the discussions until the next meeting of the IMF Board in the coming weeks,” she stated.
● FRIDAY, January 31
88 companies awarded at Trademark of Year contest
Eighty-eight companies from Moldova received the Golden Mercury prize and silver, bronze and gold medals at the 11th Trademark of the Year contest, held by the Chamber of Trade and Industry and the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) within the “Made in Moldova” exhibit. The nominations were based on several criteria, including consumption, i.e. the contest winners are selected according to the trademarks rating given by consumers. According to the criteria of professionalism, the jury assesses how efficiently the marketing instruments were chosen, if the goal of the marketing campaign was achieved and how imposing the results are. As many as 150 trademark projects competed in the nine nominations of the contest: Reputation and Trust; the Republic’s Patrimony; Consumer Appreciation; Debut of the Year; Export; Inter; Successful Rebranding; Favorite of the Year, and Socially Responsible Trademark. Chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry Gheorghe Cucu said the trademark is important in the struggle fought on the market and the brand name bears the burden of a stiff and difficult competition. AGEPI head Lilia Bolocan said the trademark must be an instrument for marketing the national products.
MIEPO has a new status
The Moldovan Export Promotion Organization (MIEPO) was officially transformed into the Moldovan Investment and Export Promotion Organization (MIEPO). The Government approved a relevant decision that defines the status of the restructured organization. Under the status, MIEPO is no longer an institution coordinated by the Ministry of Economy. It is a public self-managed institution. The Ministry of Economy is only its founder. In a program on Radio Moldova, MIEPO executive director Dona Scola said the organization will offer the economic entities support in taking the new opportunities for diversifying the markets, increasing exports and developing investment projects. MIEPO will also contribute to an enhanced image of Moldova abroad and to increasing the attractiveness of the country as a destination for investments.
PARE 1+1 will diversify instruments for supporting migrants
As many as 313 businesses were started by migrants or their relatives in over 200 settlements within the PARE 1+1 Program for Attraction of Remittances into the Economy during three years. There were planned investments of 193 million lei. The figures were presented in the annual conference of the program. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said the idea of the program was to help the migrants to start businesses in all the settlements of the county so as to set an example for other Moldovans who intend to return home from abroad. The PARE 1+1 program will continue until 2015. It offers training and entrepreneurial support to migrants and their relatives of the first degree, while the financing formula is 1 leu from the state per 1 leu from the migrants, but not more than 200,000 lei for a business.
Vienna Insurance Group to work in Moldova
Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe will work on the Moldovan insurance market. The insurance company signed a contract for the purchase of about 94% of the shares of the Insurance-Reinsurance Company Donaris Group SA. “By entering the Moldovan market, we extended the network of Vienna Insurance Group to 25 countries and filled one of the last white spots on our geographical map of Central and Eastern Europe. Donaris offers an efficient platform for positioning ourselves on the Moldovan insurance market,” said Peter Hagen, director general of Vienna Insurance Group, quoted in a communiqué of the company. Donaris was founded in 1998. Currently, it has about 50 employees at the head office and another 70 at the local offices. Vienna Insurance Group consists of about 50 companies.
“Franzeluta” launches new products
The bakery complex “Franzelutaq” has launched two new products – the bun Kaiser and graham bread with integral flour, without salt. The products were presented at the “2014 Made in Moldova” exhibit. In a communiqué, the company said the bread is made from wholewheat flour that contains husk, which is rich in fibers, magnesium and vitamin B. The graham bread is recommended to persons suffering from chronic constipation, diabetes and obesity. The bun Kaiser is made from wheat flower of the highest quality. Its middle is porous, while the crust is thin. A production line Koning was installed at the complex for making this bun. “Franzeluta” director general Victor Cojocaru told a news conference that the new products are on sale.
