● WEDNESDAY, May 29

New tender contest to lease out spaces at Chisinau International Airport

The Chisinau International Airport has announced the initiation of a new tender contest to lease out unused assets for operational purposes for Travel Retail & Food and Beverages activities. The Airport’s administration said that in order to streamline the process, the new tender contest will be carried out according to new criteria.

A significant number of people in Moldova are not looking for a job, minister

In the Republic of Moldova, a significant number of people are not looking for a job. Last year, 560,000 people aged between 24 and 64, considered able to work, were out of work. However, the situation was better than in 2019, when 681,000 people able to work were jobless, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu said at a press club meeting. “We, through the policies we designed, reduced the inactive population. Even if we have half a million inactive people, it is the lowest number in the last five years,” IPN quoted the official as saying.

Moldovans who are abroad invited to Diaspora Invest events

The Moldovan citizens living abroad have the opportunity to participate in the Diaspora Invest events in the coming months. During the event, the Moldovans from the diaspora will be able to get comprehensive information about how the state and partners support the starting and development of businesses, discover areas with increased growth potential and learn stories of entrepreneurs who managed to develop businesses at home.

State Labor Inspectorate employees will have portable video cameras

The employees of the State Labor Inspectorate will be equipped with portable video cameras to document the inspections they carry out. Also, drones will be used on building sites to more effectively monitor the number of people present there and their level of equipment. It is planned to unionize certain areas, such as the hospitality industry, so that the workers in these sectors can better organize themselves and demand appropriate working conditions. These measures, which are meant to contribute to reducing undeclared work, were pointed out by Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu at a press club meeting.

State increases natural gas security stocks

Moldova will store 15% of the average annual consumption of natural gas, and over 30% of this quantity will constitute security stocks. Two decisions in this regard were approved today by the Cabinet.
 
According to calculations by the National Agency for Energy Regulation submitted to the Ministry of Energy, the total amount needed to store natural gas is 149.5 million cubic meters. Of these, 47.1 million cubic meters represent security stocks, which is equivalent to ten days of winter consumption. Previously, the security stocks covered eight days of domestic consumption.

NBM invites children to discover world of money at interactive event on June 1

The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) will organize interactive sessions for children on the International Children’s Day, giving them an exciting insight into the world of money. The activities will take place during a major event which the NBM enthusiastically joined, together with the Ministry of Education and Research and the Republican Center for Children and Youth ARTICO.

Energocom buys first volume of natural gas from Bulgaria’s Balkan Gas Hub

The joint stock company Energocom purchased for the first time natural gas from Balkan Gas Hub of Bulgaria on a trial basis. The volume of 24 MWh will be delivered to Moldova on Wednesday, May 29.

According to Energocom, the company has access to a number of international exchanges and holds a license to supply natural gas to Bulgaria and also to the countries through which the purchased gas will reach Moldova.

● THURSDAY, May 30

Head of Investment Agency: Fujikura leaves Moldova

The Japanese company Fujikura, which produced wiring for the automotive sector, decided to withdraw from the Republic of Moldova. The announcement was made by the head of the Investment Agency Natalia Bejan. According to her, the investors’ decision to leave Moldova was influenced by the war in Ukraine and the lack of new contracts. Natalia Bejan said that since the outbreak of the war, the number of people employed at Fujikura has decreased from 1,200 to 200.

Dumitru Alaiba: Airport will not be privatized. We will apply professionalization of administration

The joint decision of the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova is that the Airport remains under state management, said Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Dumitru Alaiba. According to the official, in order to increase the profitability of this enterprise, the authorities aim to extend the powers of the Airport’s administration. The airport infrastructure can be modernized through loans or other forms of financing.

U.S. to provide $85 million for battery storage system

Electricity storage batteries will be installed at the Braila power station, which will stabilize the system if needed. It is a new, large system for storing electricity in batteries and additional equipment. During his visit to Moldova, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an investment of $85 million.

Deadline for privatization of housing extended for two years

The deadline for the privatization of housing, which expires on May 31, has been extended for another two years. The draft law was given a final reading by Parliament on Thursday. The authors argued that there are disputes that are to be examined by the court and there are many dwellings that need to be privatized, most of them being located in Chisinau.

Moldova could ask for protection for geographical indications from other states

The Republic of Moldova will be able to ask other states to grant protection for geographical indications and appellations of origin. Parliament ratified the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.

● FRIDAY, May 31

Anca Dragu: NBM implements effective security solutions in the face of cyber risks

The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) continuously monitors new threats and potential risks arising from cyberattacks and implements effective security solutions in line with international regulations, Governor Anca Dragu stated at the Meeting of the Governors of the French-speaking Central Banks entitled “French-speaking central banks facing new challenges: what are the responses”, which was held in Brussels on May 30-31.