● MONDAY, November 16

Chinese companies interested in investing in Moldova

Representatives of a group of companies from China and the administration of a Chinese industrial park came to Moldova to find out information about the investment opportunities in the country. In a meeting of Deputy Minister of Economy Vitalie Iurcu and the Chinese delegation, the sides discussed the investment possibilities in Moldova, particularly in the industrial and agricultural sector. The Ministry of Economy said the Chinese delegation came to Chisinau on a fact-finding visit and is to meet with representatives of the authorities and a number of wine companies. According to Vitalie Iurcu, the Government is interested in attracting investments and in facilitating the cooperation relations in the investment sector. The official presented instruments for attracting investments and the tax and customs concessions provided by the Free Economic Zones of Moldova and the Free Trade Area with the EU.

● TUESDAY, November 17

Third Global Entrepreneurship Week

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) has launched the third Global Entrepreneurship Week - #GEW2015Moldova, which is a social campaign to support entrepreneurs in Moldova, increase their visibility abroad and ensure the transfer of know-how and technologies to the local business community. “We think the entrepreneurs in Moldova need support and the possibility of borrowing innovational business development models so as to grow startups that are not girded by the country’s borders and can be developed at global level,” GEN Moldova president Olesea Fortuna said in the official opening of #GEW2015Moldova. Rodica Miron, the representative of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova and USAID, said the Embassy will remain a strategic partner in supporting entrepreneurship in Moldova through the BRITE program that will be implemented until June 2016. “During the next five years, we aim to develop a more robust program to support the enhancement of the private sector and business environment. The political will is an important factor for these projects to be viable,” she stated.

● WEDNESDAY, November 18

Corruption schemes in agriculture hamper development of sector, statements

Representatives of agricultural producers and former minister of agriculture Vasile Bumacov accuse the Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture of employing corruption schemes that hinder the sector’s development. The accusations were made in the talk show “Politics” on TV 7 channel. Aliona Mandati, fruit producer from Floresti district, said that owing to the corruption schemes used by the Agency, the farmers are prevented from making important investments. “The farmers are put in the situation to give bribe so as to get subsidies. Everyone knows that those from the Agency ask for at least 20% of the amount of subsidy. Therefore, many of the farmers do not apply for subsidies. On the other hand, the farmers are intimidated by the law enforcement bodies and are afraid to declare the cases of corruption. I personally was searched and my employees were stressed,” she stated. UniAgroProtect chairman Alexandru Slusari accused the political class of the corruption schemes employed in agriculture. “The corruption schemes in the subsidization of agriculture have existed for a long time, but became known only now, owing to the war between the PLDM and PDM. All the corruption schemes in agriculture are protected by the government and will disappear only with the replacement of the political class,” he stated.

Enterprises penalized by Government for not presenting quarterly reports

The specialized enterprises Prim Plonjor SRL and Bujor-Prim SA were excluded from the list of organizations and enterprises that are exempted from paying VAT on the provides services and goods into the state budget, as a punishment. These companies were included in the given list in March 2013. To benefit from this concession, the enterprises were obliged to present quarterly reports on the method of paying VAT on the import of law material and accessories needed in the production process, by the last day of the month that follows the reporting quarter. “The companies didn’t present these reports and not only for one quarter - Bujor-Prim SA four times, while Prim Plonjor SRL eight times. This is the reason why they were struck off the list,” said acting Minister of Finance Anatol Arapu.

MoldATSA takes out loan from Civic Aviation Authority

The state-run company MoldATSA (Moldovan Air Traffic Services Authority) will borrow 35 million lei from the Civic Aviation Authority for overcoming the financial difficulties is faces. The loan will be provided in four monthly tranches, 20 million of which in 2015. It will be repaid by September 1, 2016. Thus, MoldATSA is freed from paying penalties imposed on it for not transferring the payments for supervising the maintenance of the certification conditions to the Civic Aviation Authority on time, for the period from December 1, 2014 until now.

● THURSDAY, November 19

Sales of industrial products in Free Economic Zones up over 20%

The sales of industrial products in the Free Economic Zones (FEZes) rose by over 20%, shows a report by the Ministry of Economy for the first three quarters of 2015. The total net sales came to 3.066,7 billion lei, an increase of 20.9% compared with the corresponding period last year. Sales at FEZ “Balti” grew from 783.4 million lei in the first nine months of 2014 up to 1.206,2 billion in the same period of 2015 or 1.5 times, at FEZ “Ungheni-Business” rose by 15%, while at the Free Enterprise Zone “Valkanes” – by 2.4%. The Free Economic Zones also witnessed a 4.6% rise in investments in the period, which amounted to US$4.6 million.

Ruxanda Glavan: We hope debts to Health Ministry’s budget will be cleared by this yearend

The budget debts to the health system of Moldova add up to about 500 million lei, acting Minister of Health Ruxanda Glavan said in the talk show “Moldova live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1. “In 2015, the state budget didn’t fulfill its duty to rhythmically finance the health system and debts of about 500 million lei accumulated thus. I raised this issue in the Government’s meetings. We were assured that the debts will be liquidated by the end of December,” stated Ruxanda Glavan.

National roads started to be prepared for winter, official

The national roads are prepared for the cold season at a steady pace, acting Deputy Minister of Transport and Road Infrastructure Vitalie Rapcea said in the November 18 meeting of the acting Cabinet. Thus, the roads are managed and maintained through the agency of 14 enterprises S.A “Drumuri” (“Roads”). A number of 483 vehicles and pieces of machinery will be involved in snow removal and antiskid material spreading works. These are now 85% ready for the works. Depending on the needs, S.A “Drumuri” will sign direct contracts with local economic entities so as to additionally engage snow removal equipment. As many as 177 vehicles were outfitted with GPS systems so that they are appropriately used on the national roads.

Trade unions warn about difficult situation of road maintenance companies

The Federation of Carriers and Road Workers Trade Unions of Moldova sent an open letter to acting Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega by which it expresses its concern about the difficult situation of the road maintenance companies S.A. “Drumuri” (“Roads”). “The Ministry of Finance’s debts to the road fund exceed 550 million lei. This caused the State Road Administration to accumulate debts to contractors. The companies SA “Drumuri” have paid salaries with delay since September. The legislation on the remuneration of salary earners is thus violated. The employees are dissatisfied and conflicts appear,” reads the letter.

AIPA denies accusations about bribe taking in subsidy distribution

The director of the Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA) Petru Maleru reacted to the accusations that representatives of the Agency ask for bribe for providing subsidies. The official said he has evidence showing that the statements made by ex-minister of agriculture Vasile Bumacov, the chairman of “UniAgroProtect” Alexandru Slusari and the manager of an agricultural company Aliona Mandati are liars. According to the AIPA chief, starting with 2014 the Agency has been repeatedly accused, especially its Field Inspection Division. The real situation now is not the best one and the Agency more often identifies cases of frauds, presentation of falsified documents and other attempts to break the law made by the recipients of subsidies. However, this year the Agency does not have debts to the subsidization fund for 2015. This is because upper subsidization quotas and ceilings on some of the measurers are no longer deliberately introduced. Thus, the Agency is now not put in the situation to accept applications for large subdivides, without having the right to reject them.

● FRIDAY, November 20

Electric power tariffs could be by at least 9% lower, ASM study 

The electricity tariffs could be cut by at least 9%, shows a study carried out by the Institute of Power Engineering of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASM). According to the authors of the study, revising the power purchasing method is one of the measures that can lead to the diminution of the tariff. The 9% reduction could be obtained if the intermediary company Energokapital is excluded and direct negotiations for the purchase of power are held with the owners of the Cuchurgan Power Plant. The Institute’s director Mihai Tyrshu told a news conference that the methodology of setting power tariffs should be reviewed with the broad participation of representatives of civil society and a transparency mechanism should be introduced. It is recommended instituting social tariffs for the low income groups of people and covering a part of the power bills for these groups.

Free Economic Zone “Balti” extended into Orhei 

Parliament passed in two readings supplements to the Law on the Free Economic Zone “Balti” by which an area of about 8 ha located in Orhei district is added to it. The initiative is based on the request made by an important foreign investor. The German-Japanese company Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze GmbH (SEBN), which produces and supplies wire harnesses and other components for the automotive industry, forms part of the international group Sumitomo Electric Industries Group that runs about 331 branches in more than 30 countries. In 2013-2014, SEBN earned about €1 billion revenues. The SEBN has recently registered is representative office in Moldova and plans to invest approximately 17 million in the construction of a factory that will employ about 3,200 persons, 180 of whom will be engineers. The company expressed its interest in a plot of 8 ha located in Orhei district owing to its favorable geographical location, the development level of Orhei district, available workforce, existent infrastructure, access to the national roads, etc.

Parliament adopts amendments that could lead to lower gas tariffs 

The legislative body passed amendments to the Law on Natural Gas by which a provision adopted last year was annulled. According to the author of the bill, Lib-Dem Stefan Creanga, the amendments could lead to a reduction of about 5% in the current natural gas tariffs. Stefan Creanga argued that the expression ‘transportation of natural gas’ was supplemented with the words ‘and international transit natural gas transportation services” and this amendment thus ran counter to the EU Directive on the domestic  natural gas market.

● SATURDAY,  November 21

Amendments to 2015 state budget passed in final reading 

Parliament adopted a bill to amend the 2015 state budget law in the final reading. Thus, the state budget incomes were reduced by about 1 billion lei, while the costs by approximately 1.6 billion lei. The road fund was cut by almost half a billion lei, the fund for energy efficiency projects – by about 200 million lei, while the costs for building the Ungheni - Chisinau gas pipeline were suspended. As a result, the share of the state debt in the GDP will decrease by 0.6 percentage points and will represent 31.1% on December 31. The MPs accepted Communist MP Oxana Domenti’s proposal not to diminish the costs for medical services covered from the reserve fund by 13 million lei as this fund won’t be used up by this yearend.

More foreign tourists visited Moldova in first nine months 

The number of foreign tourists who visited Moldova in the first nine months of this year rose by over 20% compared with the corresponding period last year. The Moldovans who visited other states increased in number by only 6%. At the same time, the number of people involved in internal tourism decreased by almost 20%. The number of tourists and excursionists in internal tourism in January–September 2015 came to 26,900. The internal tourism was primarily organized by the tourism agencies and tour operators working in Chisinau municipality (40.5%) and in the development regions Center (28.6%) and South (26.0%).