Ministry of Economics and Commerce presented the Export Promotion Strategy 2006-2008

National Export promotion Startegy 2006-2008 a was presented on Tuesday, 28 March, in Chisinau, during the seminar on the topic "EU New Generalised Preferential System, GSP Plus, and National Export promotion Strategy ". The main expert in the field of Export Strategy of the International Commerce Centre in Geneva (Switzerland), Anton Said, who participated in the presentation, mentioned that Export promotion Strategy is an excellent effort of the Ministry of Economics, but it is required as well the participation of private sector, as „without its support the strategy will fail”. He noted that the objectives of this strategy are generous, but they have to be real. There has to be an action plan stipulating concrete actions, who, when, how and with what resources all planned actions will be achieved. „The Ministry of Economics proposes to many actions for 2006. If they are so easy to achieve, why it was not implemented until now”, Said asked. In case when the business environment is not a favourable one, we cannot say that we will change it, as it is a long-term process. And if the goals stipulated in the strategy are not achieved in the first half of the year, then the partners will mistrust, the expert warned. According to Anton Said, the International Commerce Centre is ready to give logistic support to Moldova in order to implement this strategy, only with the conditions that officials will assume the commitment to make in practice the proposed goals and to draft a logical methodology of implementation. The basic objective of the new strategy is to develop the sectors with export potential, to identify strategic markets and the access possiblities on these markets, to create a favourable business environment for making appropriate goods and services, as well as to atract foreign investments, according to the docuement. In 2006 it is foreseen to create a database in order to get information on making production and access to international markets and the European Union. It is stipulated creation of a Euro Info Centre and of a network of regional centres with national coverage, through which there will be set the regulations and principles of the activity of the European market, with free access to information on sales, requirements on quality for importers, food security, etc. The strategy includes as well creation of economic bureaus near Embassies of Moldova in European Union countries, seeking new resources for export fund. National Export Promotion Strategy 2006-2008 will be presented as well outside the capital. In 2005, Moldova’s commercial deficit was 1,220.5 million dollars, or with 55.8% (437 million dollars) more than in 2004.