InfoMarket Morning Brief | July 24, 2026

Macroeconomics

• Remittances from abroad via banks in January–June reached $967.11 million, an increase of $195.07 million, or 25.30%, year-over-year. In June, $181.30 million was received—the highest amount since the beginning of the year and 27.70% more than in June 2025.

Energy and Resources

• European gas prices rose by 3.60% over the past day, to 61.80 euros/MWh, and by 16.70% since July 14. The Ministry of Energy proposes switching to quarterly tariff adjustments and merging 12 gas distribution companies; distribution costs currently amount to nearly 4 lei per cubic meter, or about 30% of the tariff.

• The 400-kV Vulcanesti–Chisinau power line has been energized along its entire 157-kilometer route to the Chisinau substation. The line, with a capacity of up to 630 MVA and capable of covering more than 50% of the country’s peak demand, is scheduled to begin commercial operation in late August; the project cost is 61 million euros.

• Transgaz has included in its 2026–2035 plan a €26.40 million project to increase the capacity of gas supplies to Moldova, with completion scheduled for 2032. At the same time, Parliament has simplified the installation of photovoltaic systems and energy storage units: for certain buildings, a building permit is now replaced by project documentation.

Foreign Economy and Trade

• Moldova’s exports to Bulgaria in January–May rose by 18.90%, to 31.70 million euros, while imports increased by 41.60%, to 68.70 million euros. The bilateral trade deficit increased 1.70-fold, to 37 million euros.

• The Customs Service presented to the business community the benefits of “Authorized Exporter” status and electronic authorization of special procedures through the “Customs Solutions” system, which has been operational since July 1. These tools are intended to reduce application processing times and simplify export and import procedures.

Government Regulation

• Parliament aligned the anti-money laundering system with European standards. Mandatory professional certification, renewable at least once every three years, is being introduced for employees of organizations required to report in this area.

• The Competition Council has released unified rules for investigations for public comment through August 4: these rules govern data requests, the protection of trade secrets and attorney-client communications, companies’ access to case materials, and the right to file objections before a decision is made.

International Relations

• The EIB will provide Moldova with a 40 million euro loan to modernize 20 schools; with an EU grant of 3.50 million euros and co-financing from Moldova of 8 million euros, the project’s budget will total 51.50 million euros. Work will begin in 2027, and the project will receive tax and customs exemptions.

• Moldova will request a €10.01 million grant from the Global Fund for HIV and tuberculosis programs in 2027–2029. Of this amount, 4.50 million euros are earmarked for tuberculosis and 5.50 million euros for HIV.

Investments and Projects

• Before the reorganization is complete, the Moldovan Railways (ZDM) will be able to receive 300 million lei for the repair and development of railway infrastructure and passenger services. The transportation package also includes the construction of the first 5 km of the A8 highway in Moldova as part of a 3.57 billion lei contract funded by the SAFE program.

• The Chisinau Bus Fleet has announced a tender for 21 used M3-category buses worth 38 million lei, excluding VAT. The vehicles must be no older than 2016, and bids will be accepted until August 21.

Banks and Finance

• OTP Group, which owns OTP Bank Moldova, has agreed to acquire the Baltic group Luminor. Following the transaction, OTP’s total assets will increase by approximately 13%, and the share of eurozone operations in its net loan portfolio will rise from 42% to 50%; the deal is subject to regulatory approval.

• The National Commission for Financial Regulation (NCFR) delisted 1,383 maib corporate bonds with a total value of 27.66 million lei from the registry following their redemption. The bank fully repaid the face value and interest to the holders.

Industry

• The authorized capital of the state-owned Barza Albă wine and cognac distillery was increased by 4.95 million lei—to 141.66 million lei—using retained earnings. The enterprise remains 100% state-owned and is not subject to privatization.

Agriculture

• Apricot production in 2026 is estimated at 15,000–17,000 metric tons and will exceed last year’s level; the peach harvest is also expected to be higher. Investments in orchard protection, cooling, sorting, and certification are expanding exports to EU markets, where Romania was the main buyer last season.

Business and Companies

• Inlac will reduce its authorized capital from 23.42 million to 5.32 million lei, allocating 18.10 million lei to cover accumulated losses. The net loss in 2025 decreased to 3.24 million lei from 5.50 million a year earlier, while sales rose to 96 million lei.

Social Economy

• Self-employed individuals will be able to voluntarily switch to a higher fixed contribution and receive a full social insurance package, including benefits for sickness, pregnancy, childcare, and unemployment. In 2024, there were 50,870 self-employed individuals in the system; the additional benefits will be funded by their contributions.

The Day in Numbers

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• On July 24 at 9:00 a.m., the Court of Auditors will review the audit of the 2025 financial statements for the village of Palanka in the Ștefan Vodă district.

• On July 24 at 11:30 a.m., an economic review of consumer and mortgage loans for individuals will take place.

• On July 24 at 1:00 p.m., the Chisinau Municipal Council will resume its meeting to discuss the remaining items on the agenda.

• On July 24 at 2:00 p.m., the National Bank of Moldova will publish an assessment of economic activity trends in the second quarter of 2026, foreign trade tables for January–May, and key education indicators for 2025.