In 2022 the work of the Economic Council Secretariat focused on supporting a range of reforms to improve Moldova’s business environment affected by the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Experts of the Economic Council Secretariat reviewed the results achieved in promoting reforms related to the digital economy, the effects of the first legislative package for digitization and new efforts in this area, such as: challenges for the digital economy and the use of digital tools to facilitate the business environment, insufficient human and financial resources to carry out ambitious projects to modernize public services and stimulate digital transformation of both the public and private sectors. Donor support for strengthening the electronic identification system and creating eKYC, eNotary and export customs digitisation technology platforms was appreciated.

Results include assistance from the Secretariat of the Economic Council in the expert appraisal of the draft law on the prevention of food loss and wastage; the upgrading of the Customs Service’s IT systems that made possible the digitised and automated export of international postal consignments; assistance in the process of Moldova’s recognition of EU e-signatures; the establishment of on-site crèches for employees’ children, the launch of the BizRadar virtual business community application, etc.

Donors were also informed about the activities being developed or implemented by the Economic Council. These are the topics of the three Roadmaps developed by the Secretariat jointly with representatives of the business community, donor organisations and state institutions.

Thus, the next package on digitization of the economy is currently being promoted, namely the digitization of the processes of setting up a business, its remote management, online interaction of the entrepreneur with employees and other companies, with authorities and control bodies, CNAM, CNAS, etc.

At the same time, in the context of the reform of the regulatory framework for entrepreneurial activity, legislative changes are being drawn up to reduce the requirements and red tape that economic operators are currently obliged to comply with without justification.

The topics of the Roadmap on Women’s Economic Empowerment are being implemented. 21% of the actions in this document have already been implemented or are in the process of being implemented only four months after its launch. At the same time, since the launch in May 2022, several development partners such as UNICEF, UNFPA, GIZ, EBRD and others have joined the Roadmap with concrete actions. This has helped expand the Action Groups from 12 to 19. The number of actions has also increased from 47 to 63.

Donors, for their part, stressed that the Economic Council under the Prime Minister must continue to be an instrument to ensure constant communication between the Moldovan business community and the state authorities.

The Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Economic Council is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with financial support from the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund and the International Finance Corporation’s Investment Climate Reform project, funded by the Swedish Government’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.