● MONDAY, May 29
Energocom extends contract with MGRES for June
The joint stock company Energocom extended the contract with the Moldovan Power Plant (MGRES) of the Transnistrian region for June.
According to Energocom, 303,000 MWh of power will be purchased at the price of 66 USD/MWh, which was agreed at the end of March for a period of six months. This is 95% of the needs of the right side of the Nistru River.
Renato Usatyi: Over 70 large companies pay 11 to 14 lei per cubic meter of gas
The leader of the Our Party Renato Usatyi said that over 70 large companies today pay 13 lei per cubic meters of gas, while other businesses and the citizens pay a charge of 29 lei. In a news conference, the politician presented an alleged contract signed by a resident of Chisinau and a gas supplier for a charge of almost 14 lei per cubic meter of gas. In this connection, the authorities said that they are monitoring the situation and will intervene.
Director general and vice director of Air Moldova to stand trial
The director general and the vice director of the state-owned enterprise Air Moldova will appear before judges on charges of abuse of office. The criminal case was started in March 2021 based on a denouncement.
The director general and the vice director of the airline are accused of causing damage to the public law legal entity in considerable amounts when signing the wet-lease contract of May 17 , 2018, namely to the state represented by the Public Property Agency. The damage was estimated at over 36.6 million lei. Damage was also caused to the private law legal entity SRL Air Moldova, with this being assessed at over 83.3 million lei.
● TUESDAY, May 30
Market Prices Analysis Service created
Two new bodies were constituted following the reorganization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. Minister Vladimir Bolea in a press briefing said that the two bodies are the Food Industry Division and the Market Prices Analysis Service.
According to the official, the move is extremely important for realizing the economic potential of Moldova’s agriculture, especially in conditions of competition in the Black See Basin.
AIPA provided over 600 million lei subsidies to farmers so far this year
More than 600 million lei has been transferred to the accounts of over 2,800 farmers during the first five months of this year. This is about 40% of the value of the National Agriculture and Rural Development Fund. The situation is similar to January-May last year, acting director of the Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA) Diana Koshalyk stated in a press briefing.
● WEDNESDAY, May 31
Minister of Finance: After it is raised, salary of a minister will be 50,000 lei
The amendment of the 2023 state budget comes with considerable pay raises for representatives of the central public administration. After it is raised, the salary of a minister will be 50,000 lei, said Minister of Finance Veronica Sirețeanu. According to her, the raises are necessary in order to keep professionals in public posts. The pays for the other categories of public sector employees will be raised only if there is economic growth.
Vladimir Bolea: Only 10 trucks with corn have been imported from Ukraine in recent times
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry maintains its position and says that the Republic of Moldova will not ban imports from Ukraine, but will monitor constantly the process. According to Minister Vladimir Bolea, only 10 trucks with corn have been imported from Ukraine in the recent times. A ban on imports will generate similar reactions on the part of Kyiv, which can ban imports from Moldova.
Gas consumers who enter free market will have to take tariff deviations with them
Gas consumers who leave the regulated market to the free market and find another supplier will have to take the tariff deviations with them. Such a decision, called equity correction, was approved by the Commission for Exceptional Situations.
According to Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov, equity correction means that a consumer, when this wants to enter the free market, needs to take the unpaid tariff deviations with them. This will be done based on a formula that was approved by the Commission for Exceptional Situations on Wednesday. A legal solution is to be found for this correction element to be introduced into the normative framework.
Roaming tariffs between Moldova and EU to drop from January
From January 1, 2024, roaming tariffs between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union will begin to decrease. This was announced by President Maia Sandu during a joint press conference with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
● THURSDAY, June 1
Stella Jemna appointed country representative at WNISEF
Stella Jemna has been appointed as the new country representative for Moldova in the Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF), an international investment fund.
“With her extensive experience in project management and deep knowledge of government relations, Stella brings a wealth of expertise to the organization”, the fund said in a press release.
World Bank approves US$95m in financing for two projects in Moldova
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved financing for the Moldova Agriculture Governance, Growth and Resilience Investment (AGGRI) Project in the amount of $55 million and also financing for the Education Quality Improvement Project (EQIP) in the amount of $40 million, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the World Bank.
Moldova in June will pay US$560 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas to Gazprom
The price of natural gas supplied by Gazprom to the Republic of Moldova in June is US$568.15 per thousand cubic meters of gas, Moldovagaz CEO Vadim Ceban has announced.
● FRIDAY, June 2
Moldova’s Post Office resumes deliveries to Russia
Moldova’s Post Office as from June 2 accepts again postal products for being sent to the Russian Federation.
According to the state-run enterprise, all the postal products – EMS, letter and parcel post – will be accepted for being delivered to the Russian Federation according to the schedule of flights going to Russia.
2023 will be a year of recovery and restoration, NBM governor
The governor of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) Octavian Armașu said that 2023 will be a year of recovery and restoration. According to him, the relaxation of the monetary conditions will create preconditions for restarting the economy, the decrease in the rate of inflation will bring the predictability and stability needed in economic activity, while the banking system is prepared to ensure financing for companies and the population. The outcomes were made public in connection with the presentation of the annual report for 2022.
Bank card market grows almost exclusively due to card payments
The payments made by Moldovans with the card came to 53 billion lei in the first quarter of 2023, up 16.7 billion lei compared with the corresponding period last year. “After the pandemic, card payments and online trading in the Republic of Moldova have grown the fastest,” said Veaceslav Ioniță, economic policy expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”.
Wines with Protected Geographical Indications will be exhibited at festival in Chisinau
Over 25 wineries that make wines with Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) in the three delimited areas of Moldova – “Codru”, “Ștefan Vodă” and “Valul lui Traian” – will take part in the “DeVin&DeGust” Festival. The event will take place on the pedestrian street Eugen Doga in Chisinau on June 3 and 4.
● SATURDAY, June 3
One third of employed population works in public sector
Moldova’s labor force (active population aged 15 and over), which comprises the employed and unemployed persons, in the third quarter of this year was over 900,000. 30.9% of the employed population worked in the public sector, while 69.1% in the private sector or other forms of ownership, IPN reports, quoting the National Bureau of Statistics.
Entrepreneurs who will recycle packing they place on market will not pay tax on this
The business entities that will retrieve and will recycle the packing they place on the market will be exempted from paying tax on this, in accordance with a bill that was registered in Parliament by MP Ina Coșeru.
