Moldovan acting economics minister says Russian rouble's collapse, regional crisis to affect Moldova's economy

Chisinau, 19 December /MOLDPRES/ - The collapse of the rouble and the crisis in the region will be felt in the economy too. Moldova has no chances to avoid an impact of these disturbances. The effect on the Moldovan economy will reach one per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), acting Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Adrian Candu has said.   

Nevertheless, Candu told a news conference that "we will have a 3.3-3.5-per cent growth, which fits into the previous 3.5-per cent forecast of the Ministry. The advancement for 2014 amounted to 4.7 per cent in the first nine months of this year, after a surprising 5.9-per cent rise of the GDP in the third quarter.

"The remittances will be affected, first of all. In Last October, the transfers from Russia dropped by 12-14 per cent, and by 20-22 per cent in November," Andrian Candu said.

The Economics Ministry expects a 4.5-per cent growth of the economy in 2014. "We expect a mission of the International Monetary Fund in late next January- early February, in order to start talks on a new programme," the acting economics minister emphasised.     

Referring to the depreciation of the Moldovan leu against the dollar, Candu said "this is not a catastrophic depreciation; yet, if the impact is stronger, we will come with measures of protecting socially vulnerable categories in early next year."

The Russian rouble has strongly depreciated, with the European single currency and the U.S. dollar reaching an unprecedented level, no matter all efforts by the Moscow-based Central Bank. The depreciation of the rouble is doubled by gloomy forecasts as to the evolution of the Russian economy, tension in the region and uncertainties concerning the war in Ukraine.