● MONDAY, March 11
APOTA presents Road Transport Code amendment proposals
The Employers’ Association of Road Transport Operators (APOTA) submitted proposals for amending the Road Transport Code to Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu. The carriers request that transport programs in national traffic be worked out to cover the population’s real needs to travel by public transport and ensure that each locality has at least one functional round trip (direct or transit), included in the district or interdistrict transport program.
Farmers can ask for compensation for damage caused by 2023 disasters until March 15
To partially get compensated for damage caused by natural disasters in 2023, farmers can submit applications until March 15. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry specified the eligibility criteria. The farmers must have a damage report and a bank account in national currency. Corn growers shall have Statistical Report No. 4-AGR “Sowing for harves totals”, registered with the local statistics unit until June 3, 2023. This requirement applies only to those who manage an area larger than 10 ha. Multiannual plantations must be in the Catalogue of fixed assets, which was approved by the Cabinet.
TUESDAY, March 12
Chisinau City Hall auctions a number of lots in built-up area of municipality
The Chisinau City Hall puts up for sale a number of lots of land in the built-up area of the municipality. The land auction involving 16 lots intended for various purposes is to take place on March 29.
NBM launches MIA Instant Payment System. Transfers can be made by phone numbers
The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) on Tuesday launched the MIA Instant Payment System – a premiere for the financial sector of the Republic of Moldova. The system is available in national financial institutions and allows consumers and companies to transfer money in less than 15 seconds without paying commissions and regardless of the bank, only based on the phone number, offering citizens a fast, safe and efficient method of performing transactions.
MIA Instant Payment System is a step towards aligning with European digital economy, PM
Prime Minister Dorin Recean said the launch of the MIA Instant Payment System represents a concrete step towards supporting the citizens and aligning the Republic of Moldova with the European digital economy. This event marks an important moment in the modernization of the domestic payment system and the costs of financial transactions for all the citizens will be thus accelerated, simplified and reduced, which will contribute to economic security and efficiency.
Moldova's SME policies improved on 11 out of 12 dimensions, OECD
Since 2020, Moldova’s policies on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises have improved on eleven of the twelve dimensions of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) SME Policy Index. According to the assessment, progress has been made in the areas of skills, operational environment and internationalization of SMEs.
Details about use of MIA Instant Payments System
The Instant Payments System MIA is available to all mobile banking users in the Republic of Moldova, both individuals and legal entities, who have a payment account with a bank/payment institution. The identifier necessary and sufficient to initiate a transfer will be a telephone number registered in the database of the bank or payment institution, IPN reports, with reference to the National Bank of Moldova that today presented the new system.
● WEDNESDAY, March 13
Andrei Spînu: Salaries of CFM employees started to be paid
Employees of the state-run enterprise “Moldovan Railways” (CFM) will receive their salaries for December by the end of this month, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu assured. According to him, the salaries of CFM employees for October and November were paid and the salary arrears for December started to be settled. To pay the salaries, CFM received a loan and made various savings.
Energy minister: As long as Moldova has not introduced sanctions on Russian gas, this gas will be treated as any other gas on market
As long as there is no political decision in Moldova and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russian gas, this gas will be treated like any other gas on the market, said Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov. The official noted that from Moldovagaz’s point of view, from the consumers’ point of view, as long as this gas is at the best price, it must have an advantage over the gas from other suppliers.
Anca Dragu: I think I bring useful information and knowledge to Moldova
“I decided to get involved in the process of joining the European Union in the Republic of Moldova because I could not stand aside,” said the governor of the National Bank of Moldova Anca Dragu. She noted that she accepted this position because she has the necessary experience to help Moldova get closer to the European community in the financial and banking sectors.
Pensions to be indexed by 6% on April 1
The pensions on April 1 will be indexed by 6%. This coefficient will be applied to the part of the pension that does not exceed the average monthly salary in the economy forecasted for 2024 (13,700 lei). An amendment to this effect was approved by the Cabinet.
Fines of up to 10,000 lei for insurers that do not settle claims on time
The law will stipulate a fixed deadline for settling insurance claims, namely up to three working days of the receipt of the completed application. Insurance companies that will not comply with this deadline risk fines of up to 10,000 lei. This is provided in a draft law that was registered in Parliament.
Moldagrotech Spring exhibition opened at Moldexpo
State-of-the-art technologies designed to improve and optimize agricultural operations were displayed at Moldagrotech Spring 2024 exhibition that was staged at Moldexpo. Greater emphasis this year is placed on the digitalization of agriculture, with the presentation of the Smart Agri Arena - a space dedicated to digital solutions, applications and sophisticated technologies for precision agriculture:
Home appliances on sale will have new type of energy label
Household appliances sold in Moldova will have a new type of energy label, with information about the product’s energy class and electricity consumption. The Cabinet approved the regulations on energy labelling of refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers, light bulbs and electronic displays, based on the new law on the labelling of energy-related products, which was adopted last October.
● THURSDAY, March 14
European Parliament renews EU-Moldova trade liberalization measures
The European Parliament decided to extend by one year the trade liberalization measures between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova. MEP Siegfried Mureșan announced this on his Facebook page.
12m lei collected as taxes paid by individuals who lease out real estate
Receipts collected from individuals who lease out real estate in January-February 2024 amounted to 12 million lei, by 37% more compared with the corresponding period last year.
Project to support digital transformation of companies that hired Ukrainians
Moldovan companies that hired Ukrainian citizens will be supported in the digital transformation process and in the implementation of digital products and services to increase their productivity. A project in this regard was launched by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.
Electricity rates to be reviewed next week
The National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) is set to review electricity rates next week. And despite Premier Energy and Furnizarea Energiei Electrice Nord asking for an upward revision, the draft decisions published by ANRE for consultation suggest the rates will drop, albeit only slightly.
Disctrict heating rates in Chisinau and Balti could drop
District heating rates for households in Chisinau and Balti could drop after the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) was asked by the suppliers Termoelectrica and CET-Nord for a tariff revision.
● FRIDAY, March 15
Russian gas with shrinking flame in Europe
Connected to the Vertical Gas Corridor, directed from Greece to Central European countries, Moldova and Ukraine will strengthen their energy security. The storing of gas in Ukrainian storage facilities will contribute to this, Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State, wrote on X network.
Landowners will be exempted from paying individual health insurance premiums
The owners of agricultural land will be excluded from the list of payers of individual compulsory health care insurance premiums. An amendment to this effect will be approved soon, announced Minister of Health Ala Nemerenco.
● SATURDAY, March 16
Women entrepreneurs can apply to a grant program funded by Government and EU
Women entrepreneurs are encouraged to develop their businesses, and those at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey – to start businesses through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Support Program funded by the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the European Union. The program provides non-reimbursable financial support of up to 200,000 lei to women entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey and non-reimbursable financial support of up to 600,000 lei to developing enterprises.
Farmers announce protest “against police abuses”
Farmers from a number of localities will mount a protest “against the police intimidation and abuses” in Chisinau next Monday. The farmers claim that after suspending the protests with economic demands, which the authorities recognized as justified, all the participants began to receive fines.
