● MONDAY, March 05
There are more cellphones in Moldova than people
The number of cellphone users in Moldova last year rose by 0.7% on a year before to 4.5 million. According to the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology, the slight rise in the total number of cellphone users was due to the increase in the number of customers of Orange Moldova and Moldtelecom – Unite. The customer base of Orange Moldova rose by 1.2%, while of Moldtelecom – Unite by 7%. The customers of Moldcell decreased in number by 1.7% to 1.485,8 million. The volume of voice traffic in the networks of Orange Moldova grew by 89.4 million minutes, of Moldtelecom – Unite by 17.5 million minutes, while of Moldcell declined by 102.6 million minutes.
French company Edenred to issue first meal vouchers in Moldova
The French company Edenred is ready from technical, operational and commercial viewpoints to issue meal vouchers in Moldova and is expected to launch the process this month, when it receives an authorization from the Public Services Agency. For the purpose, Edenred installed the necessary production equipment at the head office in Chisinau and hired personnel. The French company is the only one on the local market that will issue meal vouchers on paper and later in the form of cards. These will be made in Chisinau, not abroad so that the partnership relations between Edenred and local companies develop rapidly and flexibly. The meal vouchers will be produced by implementing modern technology in accordance with the legislation and will have a high protection level.
Autumn crops weren’t affected by weather conditions this winter
The autumn crops haven’t been affected by the meteorological conditions this winter. In a response to an inquiry made by IPN News Agency, Marin Grama, senior consultant of the Vegetal Products Policy, Production and Regulation Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, said the state of autumn crops is now satisfactory. Most of the fields planted with winter wheat and barley are under snow and the low temperatures of the last few days haven’t posed a threat to the plants. But the weather conditions this winter were rather changing and sometimes stressful for the crops, stated Marin Grama.
Moldova opens talks on Free Trade Agreement with China
Moldova started negotiations on the formulation and signing of the Free Trade Agreement with the People’s Republic of China. It is estimated that Moldova’s exports to China will rise by 39.85%, while its GDP by 0.42% following the signing of the agreement. According to Secretary of State at the Ministry Iuliana Dragalin, the signing of the Free Trade Agreement with China will contribute to strengthening the commercial-economic relations between the two states, will facilitate the Moldovan products’ access to the Chinese market and will attract investments to the main areas of activity of Moldova.
● TUESDAY, March 06
Moldova entered financial blockage owing to poorly developed market, expert
Twenty-eight years have passed since the obtaining of independence, but the financial market of the Republic of Moldova is yet poorly developed. The banks and, newer, the microfinance companies that develop swiftly are the only instrument that remained valid, said the economist of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul” Veaceslav Ionita. In the program “15 minutes of economic realism”, produced by “Viitorul” in partnership with Radio Free Europe, Veaceslav Ionita said we are now witnessing an unprecedented growth in non-banking lending amid the banking crisis through which Moldova went after 2014. The non-banking sector grew by 25%, doubling the volume of loans provided to the economy and also the share in the volume of granted loans from 16%, and this will most probably exceed 20-25% in several years. The bank lending to the economy was stopped and the volume of bank and non-bank loans increases owing to private individuals.
Fuel prices go up
The National Agency for Energy Regulation announced the fuel price ceilings for the next two weeks. As of March 7, a liter of gasoline will be sold for at most 17.80 lei, as opposed to 17.67 lei during the past two weeks, while of diesel fuel for at most 15.85 lei, as against 15.58 lei today. The new price ceilings are valid until March 20. 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, March 07
Final report on banking fraud investigation reaches Chisinau
The National Bank of Moldova in the evening of March 6 received the final report on the investigation of the banking fraud from Kroll and Steptoe & Johnson. The document, together with the operational data concerning the tracking of the embezzled funds, will be transmitted to the Moldovan investigation bodies next week. According to the National Bank of Moldova, the report contains information about the fraud that led to the insolvency of the three Moldovan banks: Banca de Economii, Banca Sociala and Unibank. Representatives of the companies confirmed their readiness to continue to cooperate with the investigation bodies of Moldova so as to recover the stolen money and to strengthen the probative basis in the procedures initiated at internal level.
Final decision on gas tariffs to be announced later
The National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER) on March 7 held a public debate on the price and tariffs of the natural gas supplied to consumers in 2018. The final decision on the new tariffs will be announced in a later meeting of the Agency. NAER division head Alexandru Mija said the holders of licenses operating in the field asked for a tariff for the transportation of gas by “Moldovatransgaz” of 36.78 lei per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, by 10% higher than the current tariff, and for a gas distribution tariff of 1,293.96 lei, up 25%. Taking into account these calculations and the fact that the purchase price of natural gas decreased to US$ 178 per 1,000 cubic meters and the exchange rate of the leu against the US dollar, SA „Moldovagaz”, which supplies natural gas to end-users, will ask for a tariff of 4,914.97 lei per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, down 630 lei (11.4%) from the current tariff of 5,545lei. The representatives of SA “Moldovagaz” said the reduction of 20.3%, to 4,420 lei per 1,000 cubic meters, which was earlier proposed by the NAER, does not cover the investments made in 2016-2017. In particular, the length of gas networks grew by 9% and the number of end-users rose by 15%.
Increasing number of users choose fixed broadband Internet access
The number of subscribers to fixed wireless broadband Internet access services last year increased by about 5% on a year before to 584,300. The number of subscribers whose connections enable speeds of over 100 Mbps rose by 23%. According to the regulator, the number of subscribers connected to the Internet through fiber optic (fiber to the premises) and coaxial cable increased amid the decline in the number of subscribers connected to the network based on xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technologies. Thus, the number of users connected to the network through fiber optic grew by 10.3%, of those connected through coaxial cable by 8.2%, while of those connected to the network based on xDSL technologies decreased by 4.4%.
● THURSDAY, March 08
Employment of Kroll is a tactic for postponing investigation into banking fraud, opinion
Investigators in Moldova have the task of delaying the investigation of the banking fraud as long as possible. The employment of Kroll is a tactic for postponing the investigation, political commentator Alexei Tulbure stated in the program “Expertise hour” on Jurnal TV channel. According to the commentator, at least US$1 billion was stolen initially. Later the citizens were robbed by the procedure for investigating the fraud and restoring the money. Civic activist Valeriu Pasa said the Prosecutor’s Office does not need the Kroll report to carry out investigations and to present evidence in court about the guilt of those involved. Ex-MP Stela Jantuan said the final report of Kroll says many substantial data that were to be presented in this report could not be included in it because they weren’t received from the Moldovan authorities.
Opportunities for EaP researchers from industry and SMEs
Researchers from the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, including from industry and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are invited to apply for EU grants for participation in large-scale brokerage events and similar activities related to the EU’s Horizon 2020 program for research and innovation. The aim of the grant scheme is to extend scientific networks between EU Member States/non-EaP associated countries and EaP countries, as well to increase the number of EaP participants in project proposals submitted to Horizon2020. The scheme will financially support EaP researchers from research entities, industry, municipalities and SMEs. It will also fund participation in large-scale brokerage events and similar activities related to Horizon 2020, as well as preparatory meetings for developing project proposals targeting selected thematic calls within the program. The deadline for submissions is 31 May 2018.
● SATURDAY, March 10
Viorica Carare: In Moldova there are no universities that would train specialists in competition area
In the Republic of Moldova there are no universities that would train specialists in the field of competition. That’s why the Competition Council consists of jurists and economists who are trained in this field, the Council’s head Viorica Carare stated in the talk show “Black box” on TV8 channel. According to her, the competition situation in the Republic of Moldova changes step by step. So as to ensure loyal competition, the whole society should become involved in this process. “The people should realize that the problem of competition is not only within the remit of the competition authority. We should teach the children from childhood to play according to the same rules,” said Viorica Carare. She also said that during the 11 years of activity, the Competition Council became a donor of international experience. “We are donors already. We had requests from our colleagues from Brussels, for the esthetic part from Georgia and Ukraine. We are already highly appreciated abroad,” stated Viorica Carare.
