PHOTO Project on modernization of customs checkpoints Leuseni-Albita, Sculeni-Sculeni, Giurgiulesti-Galati finished

Chisinau, 21 December /MOLDPRES/ - The Customs Service today held a news conference on the finishing of the project titled, Rehabilitation and modernization of the border customs offices at the Moldova-Romania border, customs checkpoints: Leuseni-Albita, Sculeni-Sculeni and Giurgiulesti-Galati.

Attending the event were the leadership of the Finance Ministry and Customs Service, the EU high-level adviser in the customs and fiscal policy, a representative of Romania’s Embassy in Moldova and the managers of the project teams.  

At the event, Head of the Customs Service Igor Talmazan thanked the Customs Authority of Romania and the project implementation teams for the joint effort made for the modernization of the infrastructure related to those six customs checkpoints: Leuseni-Albita, Sculeni-Sculeni and Giurgiulesti-Galati, which represents an important success in the offing of extending the Moldovan-Romanian customs cooperation also through other joint projects.     

„The Big Infrastructure Project is regarded of strategic importance for the development of the border area between Moldova and Romania, through the creation of the best conditions for the carrying out of the customs control according to the international standards; this will enhance the institutional and operational efficiency, the facilitation of the international trade and the easing of the cross-border traffic of goods and passengers,’’ Igor Talmazan said.      

The initially envisaged duration for the project’s implementation, of 36 months, was extended up to 54 months and the deadline of finishing is 28 December 2023.  

The project is financed by the European Union within the Joint Operational Programme Romania – Moldova 2014-2020, through the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI). The overall value of the grant is of 6, 428, 000 euros (64.28 per cent of the project’s cost), of which the Customs Service of Moldova benefit from 3,214,000 euros (50 per cent of the grant) and the Customs Authority of Romania – 3,214 000 euros (50 per cent of the grant). The co-financing of Moldova’s government represents about 5,000,000 euros.