The EBRD provided more than €100 million in financing to the Moldovan economy in 2021 and will continue to make major investments in it in 2022.
This was stated by the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Odile Renaud-Basso, following the results of her first visit to our country on January 18-20, within which she held talks with representatives of the Moldovan authorities and business. Odile Renaud-Basso expects the EBRD to implement a massive investment program in Moldova in 2022, coupled with support for key economic policies, to help the country move forward on reforms, the EBRD said in a statement. In her opinion, the Moldovan economy should recover despite the uncertainty, and the EBRD expects Moldova's GDP to grow by 4% in 2022. Odile Renaud-Basso said that the EBRD is committed to a high level of engagement with our country, as in 2021 when its investments in various sectors of the Moldovan economy amounted to more than 100 million euros, as a result of which the bank's three-year investments in Moldova reached 300 million euros. The vast majority of funding in 2021 was directed to projects that contribute to sustainable development, and a third was allocated to small and medium-sized enterprises and provided through local banks. Encouraging progress has been made on complex infrastructure projects and the EBRD has been able to disburse new tranches of previously signed loans to support road construction, improve the energy efficiency of public buildings in the country's capital, Chisinau, and purchase new trolleybuses for Balti. The President of the EBRD acknowledged the numerous problems faced by Moldova and assured of the Bank's readiness to fully support their solution. Odile enaud-Basso stressed that the EBRD is also ready to provide financing and technical assistance to strengthen energy security and diversify gas supplies. The President of the EBRD reiterated the importance of energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy sources as key ways to reduce the country's dependence on energy imports. In meetings with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, ministers, as well as with President of the National Bank of Moldova Octavian Armasu, Ms. Renaud-Basso also discussed the business environment, structural reforms and ways to finance the growth of local companies to create jobs, support development infrastructure and attracting foreign investment to the country. She signed a new credit line with EXIMBANK, a subsidiary of Banca Intesa Sanpaolo in Moldova, to provide funds to companies across the country to help them grow, innovate and become greener. EXIMBANK's loans to Moldovan businesses will be secured by EU grants in the amount of up to 15%. In addition, the President of the EBRD held talks with representatives of the business community, key banks, international financial institutions, diplomatic missions and civil society. She visited the Glass Container Company, the largest glass bottle manufacturer in Moldova, where the EBRD has financed a new melting furnace and two new production lines.// 20.01.2022- InfoMarket.
