Government to announce tender for construction of supermarkets network

Prime-minister Vasile Tarlev asked the announcement of a tender for the selection of the investor which will construct a network of supermarkets in all the big towns and communes of the Republic of Moldova. According to the internal commerce support concept for 2006-2009, which was recently approved by the Government, at the first stage it is planned to build big commercial centers in all the geographical zones of the Republic of Moldova, depending on the number of the population. This network will contribute to improving the situation in the wholesale commerce and thus in legalizing the commerce, Vasile Tarlev said at a meeting with decision-making authorities. In this context, he warned the controlling bodies to abstain from threatening the economic agencies from the field of commerce and the vendors, emphasizing the necessity of settling clear and efficient rules in this field. According to the concept, the network will sell alimentary and first necessity products. Due to network’s integrated system and to a series of logistic centers, as well as due to the purchased volume of goods, the network will offer the lowest prices on the market. In this way, according to the predictions of the Government, the unorganized commerce will disappear by itself, because it will not be able to compete with a modern network which offers fair prices and high quality products. Each supermarket will have alimentary sections where centers for collecting agricultural products will be opened. Also, the supermarkets will have spaces were other services will be provided: drug stores, banks’ subsidiaries, and others. A very important side of the project is the fact that the local production will be sold in the place were it was produced. As well, the Government considers that the implementation of such a Program will have significant social-economic and commercial impact, including the creation of new work places on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, modernizing the retail and the wholesales systems, attracting potential service providers and local producers of goods and services; expanding the range of goods offered to consumers; improving the quality of services in the rural localities etc. In order to implement this program, the Government will create a working group composed of the representatives of the central governmental institutions and of the local public administration in order to identify the zones and the places were the aforementioned commercial centers will be built. Subsequently business-plans will be elaborated and will be proposed for examination and implementation both to local and foreign investors.