InfoMarket Economic News Agency's morning review of the previous business day: key news, important economic indicators and upcoming events. Available by subscription: plus@infomarket.md // +373 79 119 100 // Every day at 7 a.m. - in your inbox.
Macroeconomics
• The World Bank maintained its GDP growth forecast for Moldova at 1.9% for 2026, raised its estimate for 2027 to 3%, and kept the 2028 forecast at 3.2%. In the first half of 2026, the economy grew by 0.6% to 165.78 billion lei.
Energy and resources
• The government approved streamlined procedures for construction of the approximately 70-km 400-kV Strășeni–Gutinaș power line in Moldova; the $130 million project will be financed by a U.S. grant. The line is intended to strengthen the connection with Romania's power grid and reduce the risk of electricity import constraints.
• Installed energy storage capacity reached 242.85 MWh at the end of August. The 2026 auction received 16 bids for about 424 MW of wind generation and 305 MWh of storage, compared with targets of 170 MW and 44 MWh.
• The Energy Ministry opened a new law on thermal energy and cogeneration for public comment through October 20. It will consolidate rules on network development, tariff regulation, energy efficiency, renewables, metering and consumer protection.
Foreign economy and trade
• Moldova–Turkey trade in the first half of the year grew by 12.8% to $638.7 million; Chișinău said it intends to increase exports to the Turkish market and attract new investors.
Government regulation
• Energy consumption and emissions are to be taken into account in public procurement of vehicles and transport services: the minimum share of environmentally friendly vehicles over a five-year reporting period is to be 13.5% for light-duty vehicles, 5% for heavy-duty vehicles and 23% for buses.
• The government approved a draft law on sustainable urban mobility: local authorities will be able to introduce paid parking and low-emission zones, while Chișinău and Bălți will have to develop sustainable mobility plans.
International relations
• The European Union invited Moldova to present its negotiating positions on the "Internal Market" and "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth" clusters, paving the way for their formal opening at the next intergovernmental conference.
• The EU's new €157 million tranche will go directly to the state budget for completed reforms: in January–June, the authorities implemented 18 of 20 planned measures. Another 40 reforms are planned for the second half of the year.
• The U.S. allocated $8 million to Moldova to advance shared cybersecurity goals, including support for the Cybersecurity Agency and its incident response team.
Investments and projects
• Total foreign direct investment at the end of the first half of the year amounted to €5.37 billion, up 2.4%, or €124.4 million, from the end of 2025. EU investors accounted for €3.08 billion in equity investment.
• The government approved an agreement with the EBRD for an irrigation modernization project estimated at about €130 million. Systems covering approximately 6,900 hectares of farmland are to be upgraded, financed by EBRD and EU loans and grants.
• To modernize national roads, 392 land parcels with a total area of 17.47 hectares are to be expropriated; about 25.93 million lei in compensation is planned from the Road Fund.
Banks and finance
• The NBM's foreign exchange reserves increased by €39.22 million, or 0.7%, in September to €5.45 billion; €18.97 million was used during the month to service external public debt.
• Starting October 12, maib will launch its seventh corporate bond issue, totaling 200 million lei, under its fourth public offering program. The bonds have a three-year maturity and a floating coupon with a fixed margin of 1.5%.
• Victoriabank will allocate more than 187.25 million lei from its 2025 profit to dividends, or 7.49 lei per share; the bank's 2025 net profit amounted to 749.9 million lei.
Agriculture
• Authorization of additional subsidies based on farmers' 2025 applications has resumed: reallocating unused funds will allow financing of about 3,700 applications, including for investment loans, organic agriculture and plantation clearing.
Social economy
• Trade unions and employers' associations agreed to set a minimum wage of 7,600 lei per month from January 1, 2027, for real-sector enterprises affiliated with both organizations — 20.6% above the 2026 level. The government has not yet approved the nationwide minimum wage for 2027.
• A study by the trade unions and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation estimated the socially oriented subsistence minimum at 5,006.5 lei per person per month, 64% above the official figure; a decent budget for a family of two adults and two children was estimated at 67,900 lei.
Day in figures
1.9% — World Bank forecast for Moldova's GDP growth in 2026. | €5.37 billion — foreign direct investment at the end of H1 2026. |
€157 million — new EU tranche to the state budget for completed reforms. | $130 million — U.S. grant for the 400-kV Strășeni–Gutinaș power line. |
€130 million — estimated cost of the irrigation modernization project. | €5.45 billion — NBM foreign exchange reserves at the end of September. |
200 million lei — maib's seventh corporate bond issue. | 7,600 lei — minimum wage in the real sector under the trade unions–employers agreement from 2027. |
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• On October 8, Moldova Security Forum 2026 begins in Chișinău. The two-day event, October 8–9, will bring together representatives of government, diplomacy, business and the expert community.
• On October 8, ASEM/INCE will hold the 20th international conference "Economic Growth in the Face of Global Challenges," covering economic policy, entrepreneurship, competitiveness, finance and the circular economy.
• On October 8, maib park will host CX Conference Chișinău 2026, dedicated to customer experience, artificial intelligence, technology and management.
• On October 8, Digital Park will host the first Moldova Network Operators Group conference (MDNOG 1), focused on internet infrastructure, routing, peering, cybersecurity and data centers.
• On October 8, CNAS will finance nominal state allowances and monthly state allowances for October.