Government to create a network of supermarkets in Moldova

The creation of a network of supermarkets on the territory of Moldova will be a priority issue in the agenda of the next Government session, scheduled for January 10. The creation of supermarkets in the transborder zone is considered by the government to be a way of increasing Moldova’s exports in order to reduce the deficit of the trade balance, and also a solution for countering the black market. According to the PM Vasile Tarlev, via the implementation of this project, the problem of business patent holders, worried of unemployment, will be solved. The PM requested that the Ministry of Local Public Administration should mobilise local public administration of both levels in order to accelerate the implementation of this objective. According to the concept for supporting internal trade development in Moldova for 2006 to 2009, approved by the Government in September, in the first stage it is planned that large commercial centres will be built in the geographic zones of Moldova, depending on the number of population. At the second stage, the network will be extended in all the raional centres, as well as villages with a population larger than 8 to 10 thousands inhabitants. The supermarket will be built with modern technologies and will be provided with modern trade equipment. The network will sell food and large consumption goods. Due to an integrated system of the network and the logistic centres, as well as due to the acquisitioned volumes, the network will provide the lowest possible price on the market. Thus, according to the Government’s forecasts, the unorganized trade, especially in markets will be dissolved, because it would not be able to compete with modern network, offering low prices and quality services. Each supermarket will have additional surface were centres for collecting agricultural products will be organized. Other surfaces will be created for providing other services – drug stores, subsidiaries of commercial banks, dry cleaners etc. An important aspect of the project is the fact that local production will be sold in the place where it has been produced. The Government also thinks that the implementation of this programme would have a considerable social-economic impact, including the creation of new work places on the entire territory of Moldova, improvement of the retail and wholesale trade systems, attracting local producers and service providers in the rural area, extending the assortment of goods offered to the consumer, increasing the quality of services in rural area and others.