● MONDAY, September 11
Biogas power plant to be installed at Drochia sugar factory
A biogas-fueled cogeneration power plant will be soon set up at the sugar factory in Drochia town, Prime Minister Pavel Filip announced during a visit made to the factory on September 10 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its foundation. The Premier said the given investment will place the company among the leaders of the green energy in Moldova. Pavel Filip congratulated the company’s staff, saying the factory is an example of investment that generated success. He noted that the factory is a proof of efficient utilization of the country’s potential in the agrifood industry, generating significant value added and jobs and supporting the local economy. “The company is a model for other business entities from a number of viewpoints. You managed to combine the old and modern traditions. The factory is also a model of foreign investment for the Republic of Moldova,” stated the Premier.
● TUESDAY, September 12
First brotherhood of Moldovan wines and gastronomy abroad constituted
On the initiative of Moldovan citizens in Portugal, there was established the brotherhood of Moldovan Enology and Gastronomy. The event was held at the Marques de Pombal Palace in the Portuguese town of Oeiras and was organized with the aim of promoting the Moldovan wines and gastronomy in Portugal at the highest level. According to the Bureau for Diaspora Relations, the idea of constituting the brotherhood was put forward by Simion and Viorica Croitoru, who are representatives of the diaspora and promoters of the Moldovan wines in Portugal. The Moldovan brotherhood was formed based on Confraria de Carcavelos, which is an important association that promotes and implements the economic wine promotion policy in Portugal.
● WEDNESDAY, September 13
Bill to accept Additional Protocol No. 5 to CEFTA approved
The Cabinet approved the draft law to accept the Additional Protocol No. 5 to join and amend the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). By this agreement, the Republic of Moldova undertook to simplify the customs procedures and to reduce the formalities imposed on trade with the member states. The decision to launch the Additional Protocol No. 5 will extend these concessions and will offer new ones. There will be simplified the border inspections and stimulated the exchange of information between the member states. The protocol also envisions the mutual recognition of Authorized Economic Operators.
U.S. assists Moldova to increase trade and investment
The executive opened negotiations on the signing of the second amendment to the Assistance Agreement on the development objective between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the U.S. Government for increasing trade and investment in key areas that was signed in Chisinau on September 28, 2016. Under the amendment, the total value of the Assistance Agreement will be raised by US$ 2.28 million to US$ 13 million.
● THURSDAY, September 14
Vasile Luca: EU became an attractive and already traditional market for Moldovan wines
After the Russian Federation imposed bans in 2006 and 2013, the European Union became an attractive and already traditional market for the Moldovan wines, deputy minister of agriculture, regional development and environment Vasile Luca stated in a press club. According to him, the winemakers had to make additional effort to meet the European market requirements and a part of them managed to enter the EU market, while others went bankrupt in the process of adjusting to the new conditions and many specialists went abroad. Vasile Luca noted that before the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, the national legislation in the field was adjusted to the European requirements and regulations and this represented a stimulus for producers to diversify the markets, laying emphasis on quality rather than on quantity.
Wine industry recovered owing to active reformation process, opinions
The two bans imposed by Russia in 2006 and 2013 determined a profound recession in the winemaking and winegrowing sector and a three-time reduction in wine exports, which caused considerable damage. In 2015-2016, owing to a public – private partnership, the revenues in the sector were slightly increased, while the historical stores were diminished. The development of the wine industry in the post-ban period was discussed by representatives of the Moldovan wine sector in a press club. Deputy minister of agriculture, regional development and environment Vasile Luca said the bans imposed by Russia on the import of Moldovan wines continue to have an echo. Nevertheless, the winemaking industry managed to recover and to actively reform itself. The public-private partnership appeared and there was created the National Office of Vine and Wine. The Office’s director Gheorghe Arpentin said that in 2006, when the first ban was imposed, the private sector, after a boom in sales on the Russian market, got into a panic because 90% of the Moldovan wine market disappeared during one night. “The private sector was in a panic and nobody had a solution. There was also the public sector that was preoccupied with something else than with the identification of a solution to the problems. The dialogue was inefficient. A third party was needed to conduct this dialogue and this third party was the competiveness project that brought us closer,” he stated.
● FRIDAY, September 15
Real estate agents seek normative framework that would regulate their activity
Moldova does not have a legal framework that would regulate the activity of real estate agents and this prevents the agents from working legally, the representative of the Union of Real Estate Agents of Moldova Victoria Nonii stated in an ‘offline’ discussion. “The role of a real estate agent is to make a connection between the seller and the buyer of an apartment, in order words to satisfy the wishes of both of the sides. But the seller does not want the real price of the apartment to be indicated in the sale-purchase contract and indicates the cadastral price, which is 2-3 times lower. Correspondingly, when they go to a notary to register the sale-purchase contract, the sides indicate not the market price of the property, but the cadastral price and pay taxes on the cadastral, not the real price,” stated Victoria Nonii.
Gagauzia is one of regions with accelerated development, first vice governor
The economic zone in Comrat, where the Japanese company Fujikura intends to work, could become the Moldovan region with the biggest prospects. In an interview for the portal gagauzvedomosti.md, the first vice governor of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia Vadim Ceban said this is an innovative project that aroused intense discussions. Vadim Ceban said the production space of Fujikura within the industrial park in Comrat will be three to five hectares in area. “We have worked for a year to organize this park. We had to persuade investors and to interest them. All the state bodies became involved in this process rapidly and responsibly,” he stated.
Sales of electronic communications services up 5.2% in second quarter
The sales of electronic communications services (telephony, Internet, audiovisual program broadcasting and retransmission) in the second quarter of this year came to 1.6 billion lei, an increase of 5.2% on the first quarter and a decrease of 2.5% compared with the corresponding period last year. The sales of mobile Internet access services rose by over 30% to more than 220 million lei compared with the second quarter of last year. The incomes from the sales of fixed Interne access services grew by 11.1% to 303.1 million lei. The sales of mobile telephone, landline and audiovisual program broadcasting and retransmission services decreased by 2.3%, 23.2% and 8.6%, respectively, to 854 million lei, 177 million lei and 63.1 million lei.
Gross Domestic Product up 2.5%
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second quarter of this year grew by 2.5% compared with the corresponding period last year to 34.2 billion lei. Such sectors as retail and wholesale trade, maintaining and repair of cars and motorcycles, transportation and storage, accommodation and public alimentation activities contributed 1.5% to the GDP growth, while the building sector contributed 0.2%.
● SATURDAY, September 16
Incomes and costs of population go up
The incomes of the population in the second quarter of this year were 2,227 lei a month on average per person, an increase of 9.8% compared with the corresponding period last year. Salaries are the most important source of income for the population. These represent 43.2% of the earnings. The social welfare contributed 22% to the formation of incomes, cash transfers from abroad – 17.7%, while the gain from agricultural and non-agricultural activities – 13.8%.
FAO reiterates support for agricultural development in Moldova
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reiterated its readiness to further support the development and sustainability of agriculture in the Republic of Moldova. In a meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Vasile Batca, the representatives of FAO reiterated that the Republic of Moldova represents a priority in accordance with the Agreement between the Government of Moldova and the Food and Agriculture Organization on the constitution of a FAO Representative Office in Moldova, which was signed in April 2014. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, during the past three years the Republic of Moldova benefitted from expertise and technical assistance from FAO to the value of about US$ 2 million for strengthening the sector, in particular for improving the legislation and food safety. “We are grateful for the provided support and are confident that we will have efficient cooperation in the future,” Vasile Batca said in the meeting with the FAO representatives.
