The Parliament of Moldova adopted in the first reading the III package of de-bureaucratization measures aimed at effective and abuse-free control of the business environment.
In particular, deputies approved a bill to introduce changes to some regulations in the field of control of business activities, which will reduce the time of control procedures by at least 74 thousand man-hours per year and lead to savings for entrepreneurs of at least 71 million lei per year. The regulations adopted will significantly reduce the risk of corruption. “Unfortunately, abuses of control still persist. This is not what our entrepreneurs want. We need transparent, clear and free from abuse control,” said Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Dumitru Alaiba. According to him, main provisions of the adopted bill will allow entrepreneurs to challenge decisions of regulatory authorities in court, thus preventing unjustified losses of time and money. Sanctions will be introduced for abuses on the part of inspectors (from 180 to 360 USD) and internal supervision of regulatory authorities will be improved by the State office. There will also be a clear distinction between recommendations and orders of inspectors, which will allow companies to spend less time eliminating and preventing violations, and will also lead to a reduction in the number of fines. Inspection plans will be unified taking into account the category of economic agents and risks, the conditions for unscheduled inspections will be revised and specific grounds for inspections of economic agents that deliberately evade control are included. At the same time, it is possible to suspend control periods in certain situations, for example, while waiting for laboratory test results. Herewith, in the event of violations, the supervisory authority will act as an ascertaining agent and will strictly check only that information or objects that are necessary to identify the offense; the state inspection body will not have broad control powers. The bill is intended to contribute to more effective and precise control of the regulatory body, without evasions and blockages in the procedure, to continue the course towards simplifying business activities, promoting effective and free from abuse control, reducing stress associated with control, saving time for entrepreneurs and providing them with leverage for quick decisions on problems, as well as voluntary compliance. It is planned that reducing the burden of control and regulation could provide savings for consumers and the business environment in the amount of up to 1% of GDP annually, which for Moldova would mean savings of about 2.5 billion lei per year. Thanks to a predictable, abuse-free and constructive control system in relation to economic agents, investment and start-up of businesses by aspiring entrepreneurs are encouraged. The Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization notes that these changes are designed to create an environment in which enterprises can grow, develop and innovate. They will create a strong and sustainable economy that creates equal opportunity for everyone - from the largest entrepreneurs to the smallest traders. Meanwhile, the risks of corruption will be significantly reduced. With this reform, Moldova can become a place where businesses not only survive, but thrive. The bill is proposed to be put into effect a month after publication in the Official Monitor, and fines for abuses by inspectors - after six months. The bill was developed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization with the support of the Secretariat of the Economic Council under the Prime Minister of Moldova and the USAID Program “Institutional and Structural Reforms in Moldova” (MISRA). //28.03.2024 – InfoMarket.
