● MONDAY, August 17
National Bank explains what will happen to BEM savings after its liquidation
The savings at Banca de Economii (BEM) will be transferred to other commercial banks before BEM is stirpped of its license, according to the National Bank's (BNM) webpage. BNM writes that the forced liquidation of a bank is a complex process that takes several years. It begins with the withdrawal of the bank's license, when the liquidator takes over the bank's management. A bank undergoing forced liquidation cannot engage in any banking activity except the recovery of assets, including loans, and the sale of assets, including mortgages. Using the funds thus recovered, the liquidator pays the bank's liabilities. Since BEM was put under special management, the bank has been reimbursing the deposits of natural and juridical persons only via the emergency loans received from the National Bank. On August 12, 2015, BEM owed BNM 8,76 billion lei.
ANSA deputy director: Transnistrian companies exported only local products
The head of Principal Phyto-sanitary State Inspectorate and deputy director of the National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA), Alexandru Ciobanu, says that at the request of Rosselhoznadzor ANSA is watching to make sure that the companies from the left bank of the Nistru export only local products. The official assured that all companies throughout the country that have the approval of Rosselhoznadzor are allowed to export to Russia. ”In February, Rosselhoznadzor approved a list of 10 companies that were allowed to export. When the export of drupes began, we asked for a delivery permit. Later, we received a letter announcing us that 6 more exporters from the south, 2 from the north and all from the Transnistrian districts are allowed to export”, said Ciobanu during the online talk-shows “Without Myths” on pan.md.
Modernized trains to be back on track by Sep.2
All the three modernized trains will be running again by September 2 after a break of nearly one and a half year. The Moldova Railway is an announcing that the first trainset will start running in a trial mode on the Chisinau-Ungheni route from August 19. By September 2, it is expected that the other two trains will be back on track, running on the route linking Chisinau to Ocnita.
● TUESDAY, August 18
Names of company founders made public and free
Information on the names of Moldovan company founders has become public and free. The governmental portal www.date.gov.md currently contains information on roughly 200,000 companies. Previously the information was available for a charge. Making such data public and free is an anti-corruption measure that is necessary and important for creating a transparent and safe business environment, the Prime Minister's Economic Council has said in a press release. It is expected that the measure will help to limit influence peddling and prevent corruption, while also increasing trust among entrepreneurs. Currently the data is available in a simple Excel file which will be updated on a monthly basis. In the future, the information will be integrated into a digital register with a user-friendly interface.
Competition Council investigates rise in bread prices
The Competition Council has initiated an investigation to find how legal it was for bakeries to concomitantly rise bread prices. On August 15, bread and bakery products rose in price by 15% on average, and the bakeries argued the move was a consequence of the more expensive flour, electricity and gas, with the devaluation of the leu being a further cited reason.
Domestic tourism drops by 20.5%
In the first half of this year, Moldovan tourism agencies and operators provided services to 95,000 tourists and excursion-goers, up 1.3% on the similar period last year, the National Statistics Bureau reported. In January-June 2015, the number of inbound tourists and excursion-goers (foreign citizens coming to Moldova) increased by 27.8% and outbound tourism (Moldovans going abroad) rose by 5.7%. At the same time, domestic tourism dropped by 20.5%. Of the nearly 7,000 foreign tourists visiting Moldova through tourism agencies, about a half came for holiday and entertainment, and 34.5% came for business. Most tourists come from Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United States.
● WEDNESDAY, August 19
One renovated train back on track
After a break of more than a year, one of the trains renovated in Romania has been put back on the line today, running in a trial mode on the route linking Chisinau to the town of Ungheni on the border with Romania. The fares on the Chisinau-Ungheni route range from 22 to 49 lei depending on class. In the future, it is planned to extend the route to the Romanian city of Iasi. Attending the event, Transport Minister Iurie Chirinciuc said the train underwent a thorough overhaul inspection. He assured that none of the four trains inspected showed any technical problems and guaranteed safety for the passengers.
Farmers demand urgent government measures
The farmers are asking Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet to take urgent measures to improve the situation in agriculture, given the numerous problems they have to deal with in 2015. According to the letter, the devaluation of the national currency lead to a surge in prices for all the resources farmers need in their activity. They have also been hit by the recent drought and the harvest of spring cultures and fruit trees will be 50%-60% lower than the last year. Agricultural associations want the government to create before September 1 central and local special commissions to establish until September 30 the list of farming businesses stricken by the drought. They also want the authorities to consider announcing a state of emergency in the towns and villages hit by the drought in addition to coordinating with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce the issuance of force majeure certificates.
Salary arrears at Moldovan Railways will disappear by year's end, says minister
The Minister of Transportation and Road Infrastructure, Iurie Chirinciuc, promised that salary arrears at the Moldovan Railways (CFM) will be paid until the end of the year. The official was attending an event organized by CFM when the company's employees began questioning him about the unpaid wages. “We have 2 weeks since we took over the Railways. We cannot pay in 2 weeks the arrears for 3 months. We must do our utmost to make everything right – everybody should do his job and all will be OK”, said Chirinciuc. He explained that the salary arrears are for June, July and August.
Moldova Mail seeks to improve queue times
Moldova Mail prepares to launch in September a mobile application for paying utility bills, called “Factura”, and will pilot an electronic queue management system to improve queue times. The system will first be tested at its central office on Stefan cel Mare Blvd and then extended to other crowded postal offices in Chisinau. The app will be compatible with devices working on Android and iOS and will contain information about the bills to be paid, the amounts and deadlines for each bill. The user will be able to select the bills he or she wants to pay and the app will generate a QR code, which will be showed to the desk operator at the postal office. The process will be much faster than at present, when the operator needs to manually input all the codes for each bill. This is expected to dramatically increase payment times.
Stamp to be no longer mandatory in business
The Government today approved a bill annulling the requirement of applying stamps on business documents. This piece of legislation will affect some 100 other laws regulating the use of the stamp. The use of the stamp will become optional. The measure is expected to reduce by a third the costs of starting a business in Moldova. At the same time, it is considered reasonable to leave the stamp mandatory for public authorities, as they represent the state power.
● THURSDAY, August 20
Investment in irrigation to be extended
Investment in the irrigation sector will be extended to ensure sustainability to the U.S. Government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact for Moldova. At a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova (MCA Moldova), it was decided to continue investing in reforming the irrigation infrastructure from funds available after September 1 when the Compact is due to expire, the Moldovan Government said in a press release. The Committee members proposed that the MCA Moldova needs to reorganize in order to ensure sustainability to the investments made through the MCC Compact in the last five years. The reorganized body would support the overall activity of the associations of irrigation water users, the extension of irrigated areas, the promotion of models to rehabilitate water supply systems and the identification of investments necessary to further renovate the irrigation infrastructure. The necessary resources will be used from the refinance fund, formed from repayments of Compact loans borrowed by farmers from the MCC funds.
● FRIDAY, August 21
Expert mission to evaluate impact of weather on Moldovan agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, together with UNDP Moldova and FAO, will identify a mechanism to delegate an expert mission to evaluate the impact of atypical weather conditions recorded in 2015 on the Moldovan agriculture. This was discussed at a meeting between Agriculture Minister Ion Sula and UNDP Moldova Deputy Resident Representative Narine Sahakyan. The Ministry said in a press release that the next step will be to develop a frame methodology to determine the damages suffered by farmers as a result of bad weather and natural disasters. Ion Sula also requested UNDP's help with drafting and promoting a law to recompense farmers for such damages.
Farmers to receive overdue subsidies until September 1
Farmers will receive the subsidies due for 2014 until September 1, Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet promised during a meeting with the Causeni Farmers Association. The official tried to appease the farmers after they threatened to protest if the authorities didn't pay last year's subsidies. “The actions of the Cabinet I'm heading will prove that we want to continue the development and modernization of our country. We need stability and we will do everything possible to regain the trust of our citizens and development partners”, said Strelet. He assured the farmers that he wants a continuous dialogue in order to learn about their problems.
Orchard growers announce protests
Angered by the Finance Ministry's failure to compensate them for the apples delivered last year to the processing factories, orchard growers announce they will stage protests outside the Ministry's building next week. Alexandru Slusari, the president of UniAgroProtect, told the amount due to the growers is approximately 45 million lei. Alexandru Slusari says that a number of politicians promised that negotiations would be held with the World Bank to find the money and, now when the Bank offered funds, the Ministry has failed to transfer money to the growers. “We discussed this both in the spring and in the summer. The minister of agriculture promised that the budget would be adjusted but that hasn't happened so far. The orchard growers have no other choice but to take to the streets”, said Alexandru Slusari.
● SATURDAY, August 22
July drought affected corn, sunflower yields
The drought that hit Moldova in July, which saw the highest temperatures since record-keeping began, affected farmers' prospects for corn and sunflower yields, with losses amounting to several hundred kilograms per hectare. According to the State Weather Service, the high temperatures recorded in this period affect the flowering and the development of the fruit in corn. The Service predicts the average national corn harvest yields will be 2-2.3 t/ha, and lower in parts of the country. Before the drought, predictions for this year were 2.5-2.8 t/ha on average. In the last 10 years corn yields averaged 3 tonnes per hectare.
