Since the credit line Moldova’s Orchard was launched, over 280 investment projects benefitted from EU funds provided through the European Investment Bank. The funds of about €60 million that are available at present will be provided to other beneficiaries, the new Head of the EIB Office in the Republic of Moldova, Alberto Carlei, who recently arrived in Chisinau, announced in a meeting with journalists at Europe Café. He presented the results of the European Investment Bank’s work in Moldova, IPN reports.

According to Alberto Carlei, since the start of 2021, 82 beneficiaries of the credit line Moldova’s Orchard received loans to the total value of €12.6 million. Moldova’s Orchard is a key operation of the EIB whose goals is to support the private sector in Moldova. “This credit line contributed to revitalizing the horticultural sector and helped many small and medium-sized enterprises to better positron themselves on the Moldova market that is very competitive and narrow, helping them also to diversify export destinations,” said the Head of the EIB Office in Moldova.

Alberto Carlei also said that 25 investment projects to the total value of about €800 million, which covered different areas and supported SMEs, have been implemented since 2007, when the cooperation between the EU and Moldova started. “The European Investment Bank will continue its commitments in the Republic of Moldova through the support offered to implement the EU Green Deal, to improve energy efficiency, to continue financing strategic infrastructure projects in key sectors, such as transport and waste management, digitization of the Moldovan economy and support for SMEs and the private sector.”

About 40% of the financial resources provided by the EU through the EIB went to the private sector, for rehabilitating national roads and purchasing new trolleybuses in Chisinau, over 30% - to the SME sector, primarily for horticultural and winemaking SMEs, approximately 16% - to the energy sector, the EIB supporting the implementation of such projects as the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline and the improvement of the reliability of the electricity transmission system in Moldova.

There are also initiatives under implementation, such as the Solid Waste Management Program, the Energy Efficiency in Chisinau Program and the Energy Interconnection with Romania Project.