More than 200 companies from Moldova and Romania took part in the II Economic Forum, which took place in Chisinau on November 20.
Welcoming the forum participants, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Dumitru Alaiba spoke about the priorities of the ministry and efforts to create conditions for business. He emphasized that the authorities focused on modernizing public services through digitalization, eliminating bureaucracy and simplifying administrative procedures to support entrepreneurs. “We strive for complete digitalization of all G2B (Government to Business) services: if in June 39% of government services for business were provided electronically, then in September - already 48%. This will significantly reduce the risks of corruption, as well as the costs of money and time for business for various procedures,” said Dumitru Alaiba. He also spoke about the possibilities of the IT park and the ICT industry as a whole, which, through the efforts of only 20 thousand people, generates 5% of Moldova’s GDP. “This sector has shown significant growth - more than 40% in one year, and 90% of products are exported. We need to repeat this experience in other sectors. We also adopted important laws that will stimulate investment - the ability to open and manage a business remotely, work remotely (for IT, IPO, HR and other areas), have a legal employment contract concluded remotely, etc.,” said Minister, emphasizing that a small economy should be as flexible and open to digital transformation as an opportunity for growth and development. State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of Romania Terente Ciui spoke about the current economic relations between the two countries, emphasizing Romania’s commitment to supporting Moldova’s European course, as well as its readiness to cooperate in areas of common interest. Secretary General of the Government of Romania Mircea Abrudean, Romanian companies present on the Moldovan market have created more than 10 thousand jobs, and their total turnover has reached about 1 billion euros. In 2022, Romania's total investment in Moldova amounted to $692 million, and bilateral trade turnover increased by 48% compared to the previous year. He noted that Romania has consolidated its position as a leader in the sales of products from Moldova, at the same time, he emphasized that there is untapped trade and investment potential between the two countries. Sorin Serban, vice-president of Victoriabank, spoke about the role of banks in bilateral Moldovan-Romanian relations, presenting the bank’s main products and services focused on effective trade between Moldova and Romania. Researcher and entrepreneur from Romania Andi Stan spoke about the need to create a digital platform to accurately inform businesses about bilateral trade opportunities, bureaucratic procedures, banking services, etc. The Romania-Moldova Economic Forum is organized by the Romanian Investors Association in Moldova, the Romanian Embassy in Moldova and the Romanian Investment and Foreign Trade Agency. // 20.11.2023 — InfoMarket
