● TUESDAY, April 17

Agricultural Mechanization Improvement Center to have a new founder

The Agricultural Mechanization Improvement Center will have a new founder. This is provided in a decision drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment. The Ministry, which is now the founder of the Center, suggests that the State Agrarian University of Moldova should be made the founder given the institutional reforms implemented in the central public administration. The Ministry will thus have more time to work out policies in agriculture and the mechanisms for implementing the planned reforms. The Agricultural Mechanization Improvement Center, together with another six regional centers, contributes to improving the qualifications of specialists working in agriculture.

Changes suggested to public procurement law

The public procurement procedures for entities that provide such public services as water, gas, heat and power supply, postal and public transport services will be adjusted to the EU directives. The same bill that is proposed for public debates contains supplements to the Law on Public Procurement and institutes a ceiling of 400,000 lei without VAT for sector products and services contracts and solution contests and of 1.5 million lei without VAT for sector works contracts. At the next stage, the changes made to the law will entail the working out of new regulations.

Diesel fuel to grow more expensive

The National Agency for Energy Regulation announced the fuel price ceilings for the next two weeks. As of April 18, the price ceiling for diesel fuel will be by 0.19 lei higher. A liter of gasoline will be sold for at most 18.47 lei, down 0.01 lei compared with the past two weeks, while of diesel fuel for at most 16.44 lei, as opposed to 16.25 lei today. The new price ceilings will be in force until May 1. The Agency asks to report cases when filling stations post higher prices than the ceilings on the green line +373 800 10 800 or through the email address anre@anre.md.

● WEDNESDAY, April 18

New opportunities for fostering economic cooperation relations with Belarus

Chisinau on April 19 will host a Moldova-Belarus Economic Forum for Interregional Cooperation. This will include an exhibition of Belarusian goods that will involve about 180 business entities. Details about the event were presented in a news conference by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova. The Chamber’s chairman Sergiu Harea said the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Moldova established cooperation relations with the similar institution of Belarus and signed 14 cooperation agreements at national and regional levels. The business forum will bring together approximately 150 Moldovan companies operating in different sectors of the national economy. The forum will be followed by meetings.

New agreement on mutual promotion and protection of investments with Turkey

The Cabinet approved a bill to ratify the agreement on the mutual promotion and protection of investments between the Government of Moldova and the Government of Turkey that was formulated in Istanbul on December 16, 2016. The document will give Turkish and Moldovan investors confidence that their investments are protected and there are clear rules of activity in this sector. Compared with the agreement in force that was signed on February 14, 1994, the new accord envisions the payment of compensations if the benefits are lost or are not provided. A series of provisions specify the procedures for notifying and processing the documents of the sides after the new intergovernmental agreement takes effect. The new agreement will be valid for ten years and could be extended automatically for consecutive terms of five years if the signatories do not decide to scrap it. According to the Public Services Agency, in Moldova there are over 1,300 enterprises with Turkish capital. The investments in their share capital come to about 420 million lei. In 2017, trade between Moldova and Turkey exceeded US$ 408 million, an increase of 22.5% on 2016, Turkey being the seventh largest commercial partner of Moldova.

● THURSDAY, April 19

First Mobiasbanca Mortgage Center celebrates one year of activity

Over 500,000 persons were served during a year by the Mortgage Center opened by the commercial bank “Mobiasbanca – Groupe Société Générale”. Of these, 60% benefitted from mortgage loans for purchasing, building or modernizing the home. Most of the persons applied for loans for buying apartments. In the anniversary event, Mortgage Center director Anton Kovalyov said the informing of the clients is the main activity of the Center is as it is very hard to take a decision to raise a home loan. Often, the clients who were told about home loans came to apply for a loan even in a year, after examining the offers on the market. According to Anton Kovalyov, the released loans very between €5,000 and €200,000, depending on the needs of clients. From this May, the Mortgage Center will provide a new service – covering of all the costs for registering the home sale and purchase contract incurred by the clients. “We are trying to maximally simplify the process of taking a decision about the purchase of an apartment,” stated the director.

National Bank penalizes shareholder of Energbank

The Executive Board of the National Bank of Moldova decided to impose a penalty on “Balcolcom”, which owns 4.92% of the share capital of the commercial bank Energbank, for not respecting the requirements concerning capital adequacy and financial solidity laid out by the Law on Bank Activity. In a press release, the National Bank said “Balcolcom” was informed about the penalties stipulated by the Law on Bank Activity, which include the suspension of the exercise of the rights to vote, to convoke and to hold the general assembly shareholders, to introduce items in the agenda and to propose candidates for members of the executive body.

● FRIDAY, April 20

Kiril Gaburici: Chisinau Arena could be ready next summer

The construction of the Chisinau Arena could be completed next summer and this would start to host events, Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Kiril Gaburici stated in the talk show “Fabrika” on Publika TV channel. The minister said that if everything goes according to plan, the walls of the arena will be erected this autumn. The company that will execute the construction works will have the task of finishing these in 12 months. The arena will have an impact on the economy from the moment it starts to be built. “We create jobs in Stauceni and will improve the infrastructure there,” stated Kiril Gaburici, adding tourism will develop when the Chisinau Arena begins to host international events.

Farmers urged to insure crops and land

The authorities call on the farmers to invest in the area where they work and urge them to insure the land and the crops against hail and frost so as to avoid sustaining damage. The subject was discussed in a meeting of Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Liviu Volconovici with agricultural producers from Causeni district, IPN reports, with reference to the Ministry of Agriculture. In another development, the minister said that the amount of subsidies provided to farmers this year is by 120 million lei higher than in 2017. The young farmers and female farmers will be favored in the subsidization process and will get payments in advance. The process was initiated this year. “We are ready to offer all the support you need,” stated Liviu Volconovici.