International investment forum held in Chisinau

Over 40 representatives of some companies from the USA, Italy, Greece, India, Russia, Denmark, Ukraine participate in the «Invest in Moldova» international investment forum, held in Chisinau.

«The presence at the event of businessmen from 15 countries shows the fact that there is a special interest in Moldova, in spite of the presently held discussions,” the director executive of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), Carlos Bronzato said.

The WAIPA is one of the investment forum’s organizers. «It is a large-scale event, where over 200 persons are participating in,» Deputy Economics Minister Octavian Calmic said. He added that the forum was for the first time ever organized with the support of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies and of the International Financial Corporation (IFC).

«The International Financial Corporation is present in Moldova from two points of view. Presently, our investment portfolio in Moldova stands at 100 million dollars and our second field is the consultancy activity,» the director of the International Financial Corporation, Tomasz Telma said. A year ago, a project on the improvement of the investment environment has been launched with the IFC’s support. The project provided for the decrease in the number of inspections, the simplification of procedures of obtaining the construction permit and for the creation of the Food Security Agency. The IFC’s representative mentioned that many of these objectives had been achieved.

Moldova is attractive for the European investors, 60 per cent of the investments in Moldova come from the European Union, the head of the European Delegation to Moldova, Dirk Schuebel said. Notorious companies from Europe have invested in financial, trade, transport, communications sectors, but they also «have brought advanced technologies».

Schuebel listed the actions that should be taken in order to improve the investment climate. The thing is about the reform of the labour legislation including the vocational training. The EU will support the reform strategy of the educational system, Schuebel said. Schuebel said that the foreign investors «shall have the possibility to buy or to rent lands for a long term». It is important to approach the general obstacles and not only a certain sector, in order to create equal conditions for all.

The investment opportunities offered by Moldova were also presented. The participants also broached the investment climate, the export possibilities, the privatization and the public-private partnership.

The stock of the direct foreign investments in Moldova have exceed the amount of 3,17 billion dollars by late 2011 and have tripled against the 2005, according the Economic Ministry’s data.

Adapted from Moldpres