Strengthening the business climate is a development priority for the Republic of Moldova. In the National Development Strategy "Moldova 2020", adopted in 2012 and updated in 2014, one of the 4 critical issues identified is the business environment. Chisinau has undertaken to implement a number of reforms stipulated in the roadmap with the EU, but only half of them have been put into practice, said IDIS Viitorul expert Ion Tăbârţă in the "15 minutes of economic realism" show.

The Government's 2017 actions included in the Roadmap for the Priority Reform Agenda comprise ten points and directly targets the business environment. Seven actions were the responsibility of the Ministry of Economy, two of the Ministry of Finance and an action at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. Only half of the shares were executed, three others with certain reserves and two remaining unrealized.

"The Government has made efforts to improve the business climate of the Republic of Moldova. Thus, the control of the economic agents was reduced and the number of permissive documents for obtaining the license was reduced. The bureaucracy for the issuing of acts by certainly responsible authorities has also been restricted. But most of the business people claim that these actions are insufficient", explained Ion Tăbârţă.

The expert argues that in 2017 two legislative initiatives, elaborated by the Ministry of Justice, provoked controversy, debates, and interpretations in the Moldovan society. The first initiative is the bill on the reduction of the pressure of the force on the business environment, also called the "decriminalization of economic crimes" project. The second initiative is the amendment to the citizenship law through which the rules on granting citizenship through investment are established.

Both legislative initiatives were argued by the Government in that they will contribute to the improvement of the business climate in the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, it is to be mentioned that they were not included in the Association Agreement Roadmap and were not agreed with the development partners of the Republic of Moldova.

"Concerns about the bill with the" decriminalization of economic crimes "were manifested also by the development partners of the Republic of Moldova. Both the EU and the US, but also the World Bank representatives in Moldova on the grounds that they violate European standards and that major concerns about this bill have to be taken seriously into consideration. Following the talks, the bill is to be divided into two parts: economic and legal", concluded Tăbârţă.

The show is made by IDIS "Viitorul" in partnership with Radio Free Europe.

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