A National Trade Facilitation Committee was launched today, June 16, to identify solutions that would enable Moldova to develop trade and to integrate into the global commercial system. In practical terms, the Committee will help the institutions responsible for trade promotion to have a common view for implementing an efficient reform in the field, with simpler and more transparent and equitably applied procedures, said Deputy Minister of Economy Octavian Calmac, Minister of Economy, IPN reports.

Moldova pledged to create a National Trade Facilitation Committee as a member state of the World Trade Organization, following the ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement that was adopted at the Bali Ministerial Conference in December 2013.

In the opening of the launch event, Octavian Calmac said the duties of the National Trade Facilitation Committee are now fulfilled by the Economic Council under the Premier, which is an established communication platform that includes representatives of the public authorities and of the business community.

Mihaela Gorban, division head at the Ministry of Economy, said that 118 of the 164 WTO member states apply the provisions of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and Moldova is one of them. A part of the provisions were already implemented, such as those concerning the constitution of information points and discussion of relevant draft legal acts with representatives of the business community and civil society. The national trade facilitation plan of action includes a series of measures that cut the costs incurred by exporters and importers of goods when crossing the border by 15%.

Iurie Ceban, vice director of the Customs Service, said 80% of the measures defined in the national trade facilitation plan of action refer to customs. In this connection, he expressed the Customs Service’s readiness to become involved in their implementation.