More NGOs of Moldova launch White Book of Good Governance, with proposals on priorities of policies for cabinet

Chisinau, 19 July /MOLDPRES/ - The Expert-Grup Independent Analytical Centre, Centre for European Policies and Reforms and the Centre of Legal Resources from Moldova today launched a White Book of Good Governance, which includes proposals on priorities of policies for the Moldovan cabinet for the next 12 months.        

The document represent a short synthesis of the main recommendations of policies and reforms in the economic, social, justice, foreign policy, security and defence, public administration reform sectors, as well as the implementation of the Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with EU.  

Experts recommend speeding up the implementation of the EU standards, adoption of a secondary legislation, which would see both the continuous adoption of the European standards and their enforcement by the business environment. Also, the report suggests a continuous revision of the national standards and the de-monopolization of GOST (state standards), but with the consultation of the interested business environment, removing the restrictions as to the export of animal origin goods to the EU market, as well as the re-negotiation of the present contingents in the sense of their increase for the categories of products which have proved a greater potential in export.   

Economists propose to resume discussions with Russia’s authorities in the sense of re-evaluating the restrictive measures applied against goods of Moldovan origin, re-assessment of the initiatives regarding the extension of the free trade regimes with the countries where Moldova has a deep commercial imbalance, as well as limited export potential (such as China). The promotion and implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Trade Facilitation would be another priority in the commerce sector.   

The study’s authors consider that “the maintenance of the fiscal policy adopted by the former government is justified, including the flat income tax, strategic evaluation of public expenses, ensuring absolute transparency of the system of public finances and property,” fully implemented by the MTender electronic system of public procurement.  

The White Book contains also six recommendations on the implementation of the Association Agreement, including the initiating of the process for starting a new EU-Moldova Association Agenda for the 2021-2023 years through launching the process of revising the EU-Moldova Association Agenda for 2017-2019 and setting medium-term priorities for the negotiation with EU of a new Association Agenda for 2021-2023.

In terms of foreign policy, experts recommend the advancement of the relations with the European Union and its member states, strengthening Moldova’s strategic partnerships with the USA and Romania, with Ukraine and Georgia and other Eastern Partnership countries, as well as the promotion of the political dialogue with Russia, with the observance of Moldova’s national interests.  

The White Book has 28 pages and contains recommendations on the business climate, labour market, social protection, financial sector, environment, public administration reform, energy security, foreign policy, defence sector, justice, Transnistrian conflict settlement and other fields.

The authors do not insist on the completeness of the recommendations; yet, they recommend that the government includes them in the consolidation action plan. At the same time, the authors declare open for providing expertise they have to promote their implementation, including in partnership with other representatives of the civil society and community of development partners.