Moldovan premier presents government report for first 42 days of activity

Chisinau, 10 September /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet spoke about the objectives set by the government since its investiture, achievements, present problems and solutions to overcome them, at a press briefing held today at the government, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

The prime minister said that, on this period, the government convened  at six sessions, and considered over 150 subjects. "Personally I summoned four additional meetings of the National Committee for Financial Stability, a meeting of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister, a meeting of the Governmental Commission for Reintegration and one with level II heads of the executive authorities (district heads)," Valeriu Strelet said.

Among the key objectives and actions to achieve them, the prime minister mentioned the following:

1. Re-establishment of good relations with development partners. In this regard, meetings were convened with all relevant development partners. The systematisation of all previous commitments of the government of Moldova in relation to development partners and launching of their practical implementation was carried out. The preparation for the International Monetary Fund’s visit on 22 September was ensured, with positive premises for the signing of a new memorandum agreement that would create a platform for macro-financial stabilisation and growth.

2. To improve and stabilise the banking sector, we managed to start the procedure liquidation of embezzled banks and selection of the companies that will ensure the next stages of investigating the fraud in the banking sector: identifying the perpetrators and beneficiaries, their sanctioning and recovery of stolen assets. Negotiations with relevant international actors of the banking sector were held, to manage the period after the liquidation of the banks and attract new investors into the domestic banking sector.

3. Strengthening the country. To this end, the government launched a constructive communication with the governor and the leadership of the Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, premises were identified to accelerate regional development. We carried out the assessment of conditions for restructuring the National Participation Council (NPC), as well as the launch of the process of inclusion of civil society representatives within ministries’ colleges.

4. The government has taken a number of steps to establish a constructive dialogue with the business environment - employers, associations of agricultural producers, manufacturing industry representatives, National Bureau of Motor Insurers of Moldova (BNAA), Economic Council to the Prime Minister, etc., which resulted in: the liquidation of subsidies arrears in the agricultural sector for 2014; publishing open data on the founders of enterprises; removing the obligation to get a statement on paper from the state register of enterprises; removing the stamp ownership requirement for economic agents; National Food Safety Agency’s (ANSA) activities were improved by organising resignations and reshuffles; avoiding the immediate danger of Moldova’s exclusion from the Green Book system.

5. We started the assessment of the legality of the Chisinau International Airport’ s concession and of the prerequisites for termination of the concession contract - we will have the final conclusions by 25 September 2015.

6. The government has taken measures to assess the conditions for boosting the country's reintegration. The Government Commission for Reintegration was summoned, the preparation for the process of implementing joint control at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, as well as other processes aimed at confidence building between the two banks of the Dniester River were ensured, and to anticipate potential dangers for the worsening of the situation.

7. The government unreservedly confirmed and assumed the strategic objective of European integration of Moldova under the Action Plan by approving the updated plan for implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU and the government’s Action Plan for the period August 2015 - December 2016.

8. The government ensured maintaining the payment of salaries and social payments in the public sector till the end of the fiscal year and creating the premises for a robust special budget for 2016. The deficiencies in the financing system of the public health sector were evaluated and remedial process was launched.

9. Measures have been taken to prepare the concept of the compensation payments system, addressed to vulnerable social categories hit by the increase of energy fees and inflation.

10. We have set a string of firm objectives on the dimension of justice and fighting corruption via starting the process of updating the anti-corruption strategy, promotion of a package of initiatives in the judicial system sector, discussing and preparing for approving a set of drafts on reformation of the National Commission for Integrity at the government meeting.  

11. To work out the concept of strengthening mechanisms of the civil society to ensure the civic control over the government, we have set up an updated platform for the implementation, jointly with the civil society, of the “Open Government” concept.   

12. We have worked to identify solutions of speeding up the construction of the alternative energy infrastructure (the gas pipeline Ungheni-Chisinau plus interconnection on the power line Isaccea-Vulcanesti-Chisinau). 

13. We have taken measures to identify pre-conditions for attracting more investments into the economy, including solutions to build the industrial infrastructure. Some results on the concerned dimension will be announced in the nearest future.   

14. We carried out an analysis of the principal trends of public administration reform and creation of the National Commission for Public Administration Reform. This is a particular up-to-date subject, which is to be tackled consistently on three dimensions: reform of the Central Public Administration, real implementation of the decentralization strategy and preparation of the administrative territorial reform.  

15. We made efforts to prepare a joint meeting of the governments of Romania and Moldova, due in Tulcea on 22 September, with the goal to consolidate the inter-state relations and turn to good account the support provided by the Romanian side to overcome the present problems.   

Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet also said that, during 42 days since the government’s swearing in office, numerous meetings with ambassadors and other officials had been organised, in order to develop bilateral ties with different states  and identify advantageous partnerships for Moldova.   

“The government I lead will continue working as long as it has political support in the parliament, focusing on getting concrete results due to improve the living of the people from Moldova,” the prime minister added.

(Editor M. Jantovan)