The 1000th mission of the German volunteer experts from the Senior Expert Service (SES) was marked on Wednesday, October 20, in Chișinău. Since 1993, the SES experts mostly offered expertise to Small and Medium Enterprises, to vocational training institutions and local public administrations. The services of experts in the medical field, wood and metal processing, agriculture, food and textile industries were requested the most.
The German Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Angela Ganninger, said that the SES is not only a long-term project, but also an element of trust and value for the cooperation between the German Federal Republic and the Republic of Moldova. "In all these years of cooperation, the experts contributed to the economic and social development of the country and helped to deepen the bilateral relations", said Angela Ganninger.
According to the ambassador, the strength of the project is the orientation based on necessity. Experts come on demand, with a well-defined purpose and develop solutions together with Moldovan partners. The solutions can cover very different areas, ranging from the development of new products, the improvement of the production of small and medium-sized enterprises, to the problem management in the field of health protection, including quality management. Retired German mayors support Moldovan colleagues in optimizing administration or developing concrete concepts in infrastructure and economic development.
Ute Sonnen, SES project coordinator - German Economy Foundation for International Cooperation, said that the project offers the opportunity to people who have a professional break to continue to share their experience, which is done free of charge. Ute Sonnen added that she is aware of the problems that Moldovan companies face and she expressed her appreciation for the work and commitment of the beneficiaries of the program.
According to Gheorghe Cucu, honorary president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SES is one of the most important projects that are carried out in the country, which provides tangible results in each area where it is applied. Gheorghe Cucu said that the CCI has received support multiple times from SES, their most valuable intervention being in the field of worker professional training.
Gheorghe Răileanu, mayor of Cimișlia, said that he successfully collaborated with three experts from the mission. According to Gheorghe Răileanu, the expert in public administration with whom he collaborated was surprised to see a lack of discipline regarding the reception of citizens in Moldova. The expert discussed with the project beneficiaries about the simplicity of German legislation and the lack of bureaucracy in Germany. Another expert in hydrology consulted local elected officials on the construction of a water storage lake on the Cogâlnic river, while a tourism expert elaborated a manual for tourism development in the region. "Unfortunately, we do not have the necessary capacity to learn and put into practice these ideas, however, it was a great experience for everyone who participated in the exercise", said Gheorghe Răileanu.
Galina Bobic, President of Intereconomservice in Rîbnița, said that she has been collaborating with SES in fields such as agriculture, public food and in the transport and automotive services sector for over ten years. The woman said that German experts have put forward many suggestions, helped local staff to improve their level of expertise and helped companies "expand their focus." Galina Bobic recalled that after an expert shared German cuisine experience with a company that provides public catering services, the customers of that unit requested more German dishes on the menu.
SES representatives in Moldova received honors from the German Embassy in Chișinău.
Currently, SES has over 12 thousand experts providing expertise in 50 fields. Since its founding, in 1993, SES has carried out over 50 thousand volunteer-based missions worldwide. The largest SES donor is the German Federal Government.
