Government aims to almost halve poverty rate by 2020

The average economic growth in 2012 -2020 will be 4.7%, according to the bill on the National Development Strategy “Moldova 2020”, which is the first long-term strategic planning document approved by the Government, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Government’s secretary general Victor Bodiu said that unlike the previous strategic planning documents, the National Development Strategy is based on a different approach. The executive aimed to substitute the inertial model of economic growth based on consumption fielded by the growth in remittances by a model based on the attraction of investments and development of the industries that export goods and services. ”The development paradigm can be changed only if the Government and the whole society make a concerted effort. If results are achieved, there will be implemented an alternative scenario. This will enable to obtain a higher economic growth rate. The main growth rate forecast at 4.7% will rise by an additional 1.1% in 2012-2015 and 2% in 2015 -2020. The incomes per capita in 2020 will be 79% higher than in 2011, according to the alternative scenario, while the poverty rate that is now about 21-21.9% will fall to 12.7%. This means 149,000 people helped to overcome poverty,” said Victor Bodiu. The strategy will be implemented with budgetary money and with loans and grants. ““Moldova 2020” is not a political document, but an economic development strategy and the priorities defined there will be contained in the programs of any government team that will replace the current executive,” stated the secretary general. The new development model is based on seven priorities: adjustment of the education system to the labor force market needs; the rise in the volume of public investments in the national and local road infrastructure, and, consequently, the diminution of the transport costs; intensification of competition in the financial sector; implementation of information technology in the public services intended for the businesses and the people; reduction in the energy consumption by promoting energy efficiency projects, and utilization of the renewable sources of energy; obtaining of financial sustainability of the pension system; improving justice and combating corruption so as to ensure equitable access to public goods for all the people.