European Commission assigns 3.3 mln EUR to counter corruption, money laundering and terrorism

The European Commission will allot 3.3 mln EUR within the framework of a project against corruption, money laundering and financing of terrorism. The project will be implemented during three years. The projects’ objectives aim at ensuring the implementation of the anti-corruption Strategy and consolidating the national system for combating money laundering and terrorism financing according to the international standards, as well as to the practices and recommendations of Moneyval (CoE Committee of Experts on Anti-Money Laundering Measures). The message coming from Premier Vasile Tarlev, during the launching of the project, says that combating corruption, money laundering and financing of terrorism became one of the most important concerns of Moldova’s leadership, moreover, necessary to diminish the effects of the reforms related to the socioeconomic and political domain. According to the Premier, over the last years, the Government made considerable efforts in carrying out the existing tasks of preventing and combating these phenomena, remaining still aware of the fact that we need to work a lot at this chapter to combat them. These efforts aim at improving the legal framework, enhancing the experts in the filed, ensuring transparence in the decision-making process, inclusively by intensifying cooperation with the civil society. Head of the delegation of the European Commission (CE) to Chisinau, Ambassador Cesare de Montis, stated that the Government assumes very important reforms that, for certain, will have a major impact on the government and further development of the state. By implementing reforms, by consolidating the management of the public finances, external and internal audit, transparence, judicial system, a milestone will be set, very important for implementing the anti-Corruption Strategy, on which the Government is working now. Head of technical cooperation Unit of the CoE, Alexander Seger, stated in turn that mass media and civil society play an important role in implementing this project, that’s why there will be unfolded more activities of investigating the situation in the field: radio and TV talk-shows etc. According to the cited source, the information Center from the Center for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (CCECC) will be endowed with equipment, and diverse programmes of instructing the CCECC staff will be organized here. Although the surveys carried out in Moldova in 2005 showed an improvement in the situation, the level of corruption tolerance remains still high on the part of the population, Alexander Seger said. Another relevant factor for Moldova is, in the expert’s opinion, the fact that Moldovan people consider the Customs Department and police bodies as the most corrupt, while the people of other countries consider the political parties as the most corrupt. Director of the European Institute for Political Policies from Moldova, Viorel Cibotaru, told reporters that this project is a very important moment for complementing instruments and programmes of preventing and combating corruption, which has developed in Moldova recently, and is a serious financial, intellectual and institutional support. According to him, the level of corruption that places Moldova among the most corrupt countries in the South-East Europe and ex-soviet space is one of the most serious barriers in the way to achieve other strategic aims as the integration into the European Union, settlement of the Transnistrian dispute and the sustainable economic development of Moldova. Head of the delegation of the Council of Europe (CE) in Chisinau, Ambassador Cesare de Montis, stated that the Government assumes very important reforms that, for certain, will have a major impact on the government and further development of the state. By implementing reforms, by consolidating the management of the public finances, external and internal audit, transparence, judicial system, a milestone will be set, very important for implementing the anti-Corruption Strategy, on which the Government is working now. Head of technical cooperation Unit of the CE, Alexander Seger, stated in turn that mass media and civil society play an important role in implementing this project, that’s why there will be unfolded more activities of investigating the situation in the field: radio and TV talk-shows etc. According to the cited source, the information Center from the Center for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (CCECC) will be endowed with equipment, and diverse programmes of instructing the CCECC staff will be organized here. Although the surveys carried out in Moldova in 2005 showed an improvement in the situation, the level of corruption tolerance remains still high on the part of the population, Alexander Seger said. Another relevant factor for Moldova is, in the expert’s opinion, the fact that Moldovan people consider the Customs Department and police bodies as the most corrupt, while the people of other countries consider the political parties as the most corrupt. Director of the European Institute for Political Policies from Moldova, Viorel Cibotaru, told reporters that this project is a very important moment for complementing instruments and programmes of preventing and combating corruption, which has developed in Moldova recently, and is a serious financial, intellectual and institutional support. According to him, the level of corruption that places Moldova among the most corrupt countries in the South-East Europe and ex-soviet space is one of the most serious barriers in the way to achieve other strategic aims as the integration into the European Union, settlement of the Transnistrian dispute and the sustainable economic development of Moldova.