Even if Romania is a neighboring state and the most important business partner of the Republic of Moldova, it is hard to exchange Moldovan lei in this country. Experts say there is no administrative barrier in this regard, but there is no demand for this currency.

Contacted by IPN, management consultant Valentin M. Ionescu from Bucharest said the demand for Moldovan lei is very low both among private individuals and legal entities. According to the National Bank of Romania, the Moldovan leu is quoted at about 0.21 bani. “The economy of the Republic of Moldova is small and the currency is not attractive. The transactions with a particular currency are influenced by the exchange of goods and services. The exchanges between our countries are low in volume and are not based on the Moldovan currency,” stated the Romanian expert.

In 2016, trade between the two states came to €1.35 billion. “No firm in Romania uses the Moldovan leu given that the Republic of Moldova has a negative balance of trade. The currency is weak and is not used in transactions. The transactions are performed in euros or dollars. As the demand for the Moldovan leu is low, the currency exchange facilities are not interested in buying and storing this currency,” explained the expert.

Valentin M. Ionescu also said that the amounts of Moldovan lei issued by the National Bank of Moldova that are in circulation in Romania are very small.