The small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) play an important role in changing the economic growth model, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said in the opening of the international conference “Competences, Competitiveness, Growth”. The event was held in Chisinau on November 26, in the context of the European SME Week, IPN reports.

According to the Premier, the SMEs are more dynamic and adjust themselves easier to the market requirements and the economic shocks. On the other hand, they can contribute to the diminution of migration by creating attractive workplaces, including for young people. In his connection, Iurie Leanca promised the entrepreneurs that the Government will show perseverance in improving the work conditions of SMEs and will offer new business development opportunities for this segment.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said the enhancement of the business environment and elimination of constraints on entrepreneurial activity is a permanent objective of the executive, but the enterprises should also work in this respect.

“The SMEs are not afraid of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU. The conference included a panel discussion that centered on the internationalization of the SMEs. Within it, we presented the services and instruments offered by the local and international institutions and organizations and the projects to support the SMEs and spoke about the necessity of improving the system for informing the enterprises about these opportunities,” the director of the Organization for the Development of SMEs Iulia Iabanji said after the event.

In Moldova there are over 49,000 small and medium-sized companies that employ 57.7% of the labor force working in the economy. The turnover of the SMEs last year exceeded 73 billion lei or 34% of the revenues in the economy.