Trade Chamber officials urge closer cooperation between economic entities from both banks of the Nistru

The head of the Rabnita local office of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) of Moldova stresses the necessity of stimulating the mutually advantageous commercial relations between the economic entities from the two banks of the Nistru as the world crisis affects the businesses more seriously. “The agro-industrial complex is fully destroyed and the small business in Transnistria was reduced to the sale of consumer goods. We consider that the only solution is to help the Transnistrian companies re-conquer the lost home market,” Galina Popic said at the yearly meeting of the CTI Council, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Government of Moldova and the CTI as well as the economic entities should work on this if there is sincere will to reintegrate into Moldova, Galina Popic considers. Officials of the CTI say that the introduction of safeguard measures on the import of building materials by the Russian Federation has led to a sudden decrease in production at the Rabnita Cement Plant, whose products are mainly exported to Russia. The plant cannot sell its products on the domestic market either as it has been long ago occupied by Lafarge Ciment. “The Rabnita Metallurgical Plant is also in a difficult situation. In order not to lose the market, the plant is forced to sell its products at lower prices than the cost price. In January, the European Commission is to make a decision as regards the metallurgical production of China, Turkey and Moldova. It is clear what will happen if the European Commission decides to use anti-dumping measures,” Galina Popic said. Given that the Transnistrian companies, which have been mostly privatized by Russian businesses, send the people on forced leave, the Transnistrian authorities’ economic policies oriented to a single market, even if large, become more dangerous, the head of the Balti office of the CTI said.