Now that Moldova joined the Agreement on Government Procurement of the World Health Organization (WHO), the national operators will be able to take part in international tender contests. Moldova also has access to a market of up to US$1.7 trillion a year, Minister of Economy Octavian Calmac stated in an international conference staged by the EBRD, IPN reports.

According to Octavian Calmac, the joining of this agreement is an opportunity for increasing the level of competition for large infrastructure projects implemented in Moldova.

“The membership in this accord can be regarded as an instrument for improving the national public procurement practices and simplifying the applied procedures. Furthermore, the membership offers the Moldovan operators the possibility of taking part in tender contests held by the 46 member states of the agreement,” stated the minister.

The given move is welcomed by the EU, which considers this an accomplishment of the Government in the process of transforming this area into a transparent and open one. “Now we have a common objective – to develop government procurement and transform it into an efficient and transparent system that enables the Moldovan business entities to take part in international tender contests,” said the Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola.

Moldova became a fully-fledged member of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement by presenting the document ratification instrument to the WTO head office in Geneva on June 22, 2016.