Activity of the Government on February 16–29, 2008

Appointments. Dismissals

Constantin Mihailescu was revoked from the office of minister of ecology and natural resources for the “failure to fulfil his tasks in line with the legislation manifested through abuse of authority,” according to a presidential decree. At the same time, Violeta Ivanov, deputy minister of ecology and natural resources, will succeed Mihailescu.

Commentary by ADEPT: Accordingly to constitutional norms and legislation, president of Moldova revokes and appoints Government members proposed by prime minister. It is worth to note that the GD # 204 from 25.02.2008 concerning activity of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in 2007 (published in OM # 45–46 from 04.03.2008) described the work of the ministry as satisfactory and therefore, the Government and prime minister had no objections against the work of the minister and they did not consider that he should be sanctioned.

Requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Government has recommended Moldovan president to recall Alexei Tulbure from the post of Permanent Representative of Moldova to the United Nations. The reasons of the early recalling are unknown, but this decision surprised the diplomat concerned. Tulbure was appointed to this office in July 2006 and he represented Moldova to the Council of Europe until then.

Decisions

Decision approving tariff quotas for commodity exports to E.U. Moldovan wine makers who will export to the E.U. within the Autonomous Trade Preferences regime will benefit by an export quota of up to 10 percent of the overall share of 600,000 litres proposed by E.U. This share will be also in effect for other sensible products for the E.U. domestic market, for which quantitative limits have been established: wheat, barley, corn, dairy, meat and meat products. Quotas for sugar and egg exports will be granted on the basis of the volume of production made by economic agent the precedent year and stored at the moment concerned. Producers holding E.U. commodity export contracts will be stimulated above all, with respect for quality requirements and authentication of the origin of goods.

Decision on opening of joint ventures (joint stock societies). The Government gives green light to a proposal by the foreign company MGL Business S.R.L. to found a joint stock society with state and private capital (Sport Agency), in which each side will control 50 percent of the registered capital. The Sport Agency will deposit as share to the registered capital a 1.7-hectare field in 12 Tighina Street in Chisinau municipality, which value will be established on the basis of a report by a licensed assessor. MGL Business S.R.L. will deposit currency as share to the registered capital of the joint stock society and it will be used to build the republican stadium.

Decisions approving some regulations:

The regulation on reimbursement of the value-added tax;
The regulation on acquisition of drugs for needs of the healthcare system;
Framework regulation of territorial commissions in charge with the combat of trafficking in human beings.

Decisions approving programmes, concepts, strategies:

The naval transportation development concept of Moldova;
The concept on optimisation of the number of budgetary employees in 2008–2010. The document stipulates the dismissal of approximately 10,000 employees from education, healthcare, agriculture, interior bodies, and apparatuses of central and local public administrations, customs, fiscal services. Thus, salaries of the rest of employees will be increased (218 million lei shall be saved after the staff cut). According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the personnel cut will not enhance the unemployment rate because some sectors lack labour force.

Decisions approving some draft laws:

Concerning the modification of the salary law. The salary system in the real sector of national economy shall be liberalised, so that to enable employers to apply the tariff, non-tariff or joint system;
Concerning improvement of financial condition of public service providers. It annuls debts in the amount of 35 million lei of I.S Moldtranselectro raised since 1999.

Decisions on allocation of funds:

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is allocated 580,000 lei from the Reserve Fund to inaugurate the Year of the Youth.

Sittings. Decisions. Statements

Implementation of the customs “one-stop-shop”

Prime minister has convoked functionaries in charge with implementation of the “one-stop-shop” in the customs system. According to officials of the policy coordination directorate of the Government Apparatus, the “one-stop-shop” principle has been implemented by internal customs stations Chisinau, Balti and Ungheni, so that the term of customs operations has been essentially reduced. The effective legislation shall be modified and adjusted at the second stage, in order to reduce the number of document control services. Premier Vasile Tarlev stressed that the implementation of the “one-stop-shop” is a progress in modernising the control at state border for the benefit of participants in traffic, and this will improve the image of the country through the “first impression” of a foreigner who enters Moldova. In this context, the premier instructed competent authorities to accelerate preparations for the implementation of “one-stop-shops” at customs stations, so that to be put into operation immediately after the adjustment of legislation.

Quality primary healthcare

Officials in charge with fortifying the technical-material basis of the primary healthcare service have reported measures taken to implement the 2008–17 healthcare development strategy and issue a list of primary medical-sanitary institutions which will be renovated, by one in every district (35 institutions). Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev stressed the opportunity of establishing priority actions aimed to modernise the healthcare system, as renovation and equipment works are very expensive.

Compact country proposal

It was noted at a February 26 sitting of the national committee for the monitoring of the elaboration of the Compact Programme that the country proposal has been elaborated strictly in accordance with the CPM requirements. It includes four projects on road renovation, enhanced efficiency of energy sector, transition to a modern agriculture and development of primary healthcare in rural areas. The estimated cost of the programme is 518 million dollars. CPM will amply verify and edit the Compact country proposal before negotiation and signing of the Compact.

Cooperation to protect competition

Decision makers and members of the National Agency for the Protection of Competition (NAPC) participating in a roundtable have sought a transparent and efficient cooperation mechanism to develop the entrepreneurship under a fair competition. They also noted the need of improving the legal-normative framework on protection of competition and regulation of monopolies. Just in the first year of work the NAPC has signalled the need to improve the legal framework in the area, especially as regards non-discrimination, transparency and fairness. Participants in the roundtable welcomed an initiative seeking the creation of an expert council of the agency, which would survey NAPC decisions in order to ensure a better dialogue with civil society. Prime minister told the roundtable that actions of the agency shall not affect the image of the country or diminish efforts aimed to build a favourable investment climate, and it shall monitor the formation of market prices of a number of products that influence economic developments and welfare of citizens.

e-democracy.md