MEC to create unique database of foreign direct investments

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) intends to create a unique database on the foreign direct investments made in Moldova. It has already been created a monitoring mechanism for the direct investments that come to the country and the Chamber of Registration along with the National Bank of Moldova have provided useful data regarding the sectors where investments are to be directed to. According to Minister of Economy and Commerce Igor Dodon, improving the situation in business environment is one of the basic priorities of MEC for 2007, with certain legislative initiatives to follow. Among them is the bill on industrial parks, expecting the go-ahead from the Government, bills on public private partnerships, and mortgage loans. The latter was already elaborated and discussed upon in order to be submitted to the Government for consideration during this month. MEC also states that in 2006 the investments growth pace in fixed capital was superior to the growth pace of the GDP. For the first time this kind of investments have recorded MDL 9.58 bln and have risen by 17% from the previous year. In the investment structure of growth (as for the fixed capital), the biggest share was for foreign investment, with a volume that has increased by 35%. Foreign direct investments in economy have recorded in 2006 the highest growth pace, constituting about USD 336 mln. In 2006 has been attested a growth of 31.3% of the subscribed capital and of the reinvested profit, as well as of the investments in the banking sector. If in 2002-2005 the amount of investments varied from USD 6.3 mln to USD 11.9 mln, then in 2006 these investments made up USD 37 mln. The biggest investments with the subscribed capital were operated by commercial banks such as "Eximbank", "Unibank" and Romanian Commercial Bank. Investors from Netherlands and Slovenia have purchased shares from "Moldova-Agroindbank" commercial bank. The volume of the reinvested profit has reached in 2006 the amount of USD 42.3 mln, exceeding by 30% the data from 2005.