The law on the institution of measures to support the entrepreneurial activity and to amend a number of regulations was passed in two readings. The opposition parties didn’t support the Government’s initiative, IPN reports.
Prime Minister Ion Chicu said in Parliament that until now, the Government and the Commission for Exceptional Situations took measures with an immediate effect during the state of emergency. The provisions of this bill will be implemented after the state of emergency is lifted.
The bill includes the program to subsidize the interest rates in loans that is designed to facilitate the enterprises’ access to loans in the period between May 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. It also establishes the legal framework for implementing the VAT refund program. The VAT rate for the hospitality industry is reduced from 20% to 15%.
PAS MP Dan Perciun said that attempts are made to present these measures as pro-business. There are suspicions that these measures are designed to support companies close to the parliamentary majority. As regards the refund of the VAT, there is no clear mechanism for selecting the applicants and preconditions are thus created for corruption, selective approach and favoring of particular entrepreneurs.
PPPDA MP Igor Munteanu noted the subsidization of the interest rates is a good measure, but this should meet the principles of accessibility and equity. Not all the companies were affected by the pandemic to the same extent and this support of the state should be aimed at companies that really need assistance.
For his part, the leader of the PPPDA group Alexandru Slusari noted the businessmen expected an appropriate response from the Government that claims to be social. The employers hoped the state will contribute to the partial payment of salaries to employees out of work for at least two-three months. The PPPDA and other opposition parties proposed a set of argued measures for revitalizing the businesses, but these weren’t supported.
Vladimir Cebotari, of the Pro Moldova group, said that in solidarity with 95% of the businesses that cannot benefit from this package of measures, the group will not support the bill.
