10 December 2021 – The legislative amendments on the digitisation of the economy, voted on 11 November 2021 by the Parliament, have been promulgated by Moldovan President Maia Sandu and published in the Official Gazette.

Thus, according to the new legal provisions, it becomes possible to remotely register businesses, changes in the acts of incorporation of legal entities, as well as other issues related to remote business administration. Until now this was impossible, even with the use of electronic signatures and documents.

Another provision concerns the mandatory issuance of permitting or confirmatory documents to business people remotely in electronic format.

The amendments also provide that personal data opperator (economic agents, organisations, state institutions) are no longer obliged to notify and register with the National Centre for Personal Data Protection.

Another set of legislative provisions in the enacted amendments concerns the use of qualified advanced electronic signatures in employment relationships.

One of the key legislative changes is the unilateral recognition by Moldova of qualified advanced electronic signatures issued in EU countries and the possibility for investors and the diaspora to interact remotely with Moldovan authorities.

The legislative initiative promulgated today also provides for other tools to digitise citizens’ and businesses’ interaction with the state, the first remote electronic methods, including the use of electronic power of attorney in relations with public authorities, remote registration on the public procurement portal and subsequent participation in e-procurement; the possibility of remotely finalising contracts with public utility companies, such as natural gas, electricity, water and sewerage, communications, etc.

The package of amendments for the digitisation of the economy was drafted by experts from the Economic Council to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova. The document was promoted in Parliament at the initiative of the Chairman of the Committee on Economy, Budget and Finance, Dumitru Alaiba, with the full support of Deputy Prime Minister for Digitisation Iurie Țurcanu.

The legislative amendments on the digitisation of the economy were developed within the framework of the implementation of the Roadmap for boosting the process of digitisation of the national economy and development of e-commerce developed by the Ministry of Economy jointly with the Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, with international expertise provided through EBRD, USAID, GIZ, UK GGF and IFC.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund, and the International Finance Corporation’s Investment Climate Reform Project funded by the Government of Sweden’s International Development Agency.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.