Moldovan free economic zones, industrial parks present investment opportunities

Chisinau, 10 December /MOLDPRES/ - The Free Economic Zones (FEZ) and industrial parks from Moldova today presented their investments opportunities at a forum titled, Industrial Parks and Free Economic Zones - Instruments for Developing Industrial Sector and Promote Export in Moldova.

According to sources from the Economics Ministry, the forum brought together representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Moldova and governmental institutions, managers of the Free Economic Zones and Industrial Parks, as well as officials of the financing institutions: World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), etc.     

The event was opened by Deputy Prime Minister, acting Economics Minister Stephane Bride. The official said the today's forum was an occasion for the authorities and business environment to set joint goals, followed by concrete actions and projects, to identify new opportunities of financing and extending the industrial infrastructure, and the diplomats had the task to boost messages on Moldova abroad.

"Even if industry accounts for 14 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it is the main activity sector, the one which sets the general fashion for the sustainable results in the economy for medium and long term. The investments made in FEZ  and industrial parks serve as confirmation for this. Since their opening and till present, over 200 million dollars has been invested in Free Economic Zones and over 700 million lei in industrial parks. The viability of these platforms is also confirmed by data for the first nine months of this year. According to this data, despite a general economic slowdown, the industry recorded a four-per cent increase against the same period of the last year," Stephane Bride said.   

The acting economics minister highlighted that, although certain progress had been made, the Moldovan industry remained a zone with a potential that had been insufficiently turned to account. Bride said that, in the industrialisation process, it was important to ensure a friendly business climate, refurbish the production processes and attract foreign investments.

For his part, World Bank Director for Moldova Alex Kremer backed the need to improve the business climate, that would allow entrepreneurs developing business in preferential conditions not only within FEZ and industrial parks, but also all over Moldova.    

At the forum, managers of industrial platforms unveiled opportunities, advantages, progress, as well as problems they were facing.   

(Reporter A. Mardare, editor M. Jantovan)