Economic Council to Moldovan Prime Minister unveils activity report for 2014

Chisinau, 30 April /MOLDPRES/ - The Economic Council to the Prime Minister in 2014 promoted over ten initiatives that improved the business environment and removed obstacles to the private sector development. The simplification of the starting business procedure, which has reduced the registration procedure from five steps to only one, is one of these initiatives, said the head of the Secretariat of the Economic Council, Dumitru Alaiba during the presentation of the activity report today.

"Over 4,000 new businesses have benefited from the simplified registration procedure," said Dumitru Alaiba. He also referred to the removal of the 1.5 per cent tax on exports of nuts, leading to their annual increase by 25 per cent, reduction by 700 lei of the laboratory testing and certification costs for exporting wine products.

Among the most notable results recorded in 2014, there are the reduction by 20 per cent of the cost of laboratory tests for other exported goods, simplification of the procedure for issuing the export phyto-sanitary certificate (4 out of 7 documents have been removed). The Economic Council also promoted tools of electronic governance for entrepreneurs (e-invoice, the State Register of Controls, e-Reporting to the National Bureau of Statistics and the National Social Insurance House).

Also, the www.finantare.gov.md portal was launched, information about the portal contractors www.date.gov.md was updated.

Improving the business and investment environment is among the priorities of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). "We are here to invest, to contribute to the economy. We can support 3-5 times more projects, but unfortunately, many investors come to Moldova, look around and leave", said Julia Otto, Head of the EBRD office in Chisinau.

The EBRD official said the financial institution she represents supported in 2012 the creation of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister and would continue to provide assistance to continue its work.

The agenda of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister for 2015  includes online registration of companies, the principle of one-stop-shop for registration, removing the stamp requirement, optimising the process of reporting to the state, providing equal and transparent access to financing, continuing the implementation of the "plus one minus two” principle and facilitating cross-border trade.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor A. Raileanu)