Moldovan Economics Ministry launches new financing round of SME development programme

The Economics Ministry has started up a new round of financing of the small-and medium-sized enterprises (SME) from the partner funds of a Japanese grant, tranches I-IV, amounting to about 12 million lei. Thus, starting with 18 March, district businessmen will be able to submit their participation application to purchase the necessary technical equipment, the Economics Ministry’s information and media communication service has reported.

The Ministry said that the main goal of the SME support and development programme was to create favourable conditions for businessmen of the SME’s sector in order to develop the production activity in Moldova’s districts, especially in the rural area, as well as to increase exports and to substitute imports.

Via the programme, the entrepreneurs may require to purchase a large variety of production equipment starting from 500,000 lei and up to 1 million lei. The equipment bought within the programme will be leased for one-year term, without mortgage and at a zero-per-cent interest.

The zero-per-cent VAT will be applied to the purchased and imported equipment and the leasing contracts concluded until 30 June 2013 will be exempted from customs duties and from the tax for customs procedure performing.

According to the programme’s conditions, priority will be given to innovative projects of applicants, whose own investments will prove higher coefficient of multiplication against the financing provided from the grant’s partner funds, as well as the SME projects, which via their products, will contribute to export increase and /or to imports substitution. The equipment also needs to be of reduced energy consumption.

The application period is between 18 March and 5 April.

Adapted from MOLDPRES