Moldovan president, business environment's representatives discuss challenges faced by light industry

Chisinau, 8 April /MOLDPRES/ - President Maia Sandu today discussed, in online format, with representatives of the Employers’ Association of the Light Industry (APIUS). The subjects tackled were focused on the challenges recorded in the sector, triggered by the pandemic crisis, as well as possibilities of recovery and economic growth, the presidential press service has reported.  

„We understand that you go through a quite difficult period. I have repeatedly said that I would be on the side of the business people who work honestly, create jobs for our citizens, pay taxes. It is true that, being caught by the pandemic and political crises, we were not able to focus on more problems of the business. Now, the priority is to bring as much as possible vaccine and vaccinate as many people as possible. We will help the economy through this most of all,’’ Maia Sandu said.    

The head of state expressed willingness to back the business environment in overcoming the crisis and economic recovery, noting that there was a great external openness to help us cope with the challenges. At the same time, she stressed that, to succeed, a majority of honest people in parliament and a professional government are necessary, which are to work seriously to solve the problems.  

At the discussion, the light industry representatives referred to the need that the branch should be supported by the state and has access to cheaper financial resources. ‘’Since the beginning of the pandemic, we asked the government to compensate the technical unemployment. Unfortunately, this did not happen last year either, when a lot of enterprises had to cease working and this was not envisaged in the budget for this year too. We proposed the creation of a fund of guaranteeing of credits by the state. We also discuss the attraction of foreign funds, diversification of financing sources, in order to give access to cheaper resources, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises,’’ the head of state said.   

President Maia Sandu asked the APIUS representatives to come up with recommendations on the post-Covid rehabilitation of the light industry. ‘’Despite the political and sanitary crisis we face, in the next weeks, we are to work on a programme on the country’s economic recovery. It is important that the business environment, including the light industry, participate in this process, so that this sector becomes sustainable and competitive,’’ Maia Sandu added.  

photo: presedintie.md