The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is collaborating with the Republic of Moldova to reduce the barriers to trade, with the aim of improving economic growth and other policy objectives, such as increased supply chain efficiency and public health protection. By simplifying and modernizing procedures, it can make it easier to do business, create more jobs and bolster economic resilience.
Recently, UNECE held a training event in Chisinau to introduce the Assessment of Trade Facilitation Framework – Republic of Moldova. It was attended by over 50 representatives from various government agencies and development partners, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization and the Economic Council to the Prime Minister. This study mapped out the progress, ongoing reforms, and future directions for capacity building work that is necessary to meet the Republic of Moldova’s commitments under the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA).
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization of the Republic of Moldova, Ms. Cristina Ceban, praised the publication of the report. She noted that trade facilitation is essential for the free movement of goods, reducing red tape and promoting transparency, which contributes to economic growth.
The WTO TFA is the common legal framework for undertaking trade facilitation reforms globally. It is estimated that full and effective implementation of such reforms could reduce trade costs and increase global trade by up to USD 1 trillion per year, with the greatest gains in landlocked countries like the Republic of Moldova.
At present, the Republic of Moldova’s trade facilitation implementation rate of the WTO TFA provisions is 77.3 percent, according to the WTO TFA database. This displays ongoing progress with regards to digitalization and ease of doing business reforms. Moreover, the overall implementation rate of General and Digital Trade Facilitation measures for the Republic of Moldova is 62.37%, with notable advances in Transparency (+7%), Formalities (+8%), and Paperless Trade (+4%) measures since 2017.
The UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Simon Springett, highlighted the importance of trade facilitation to reverse economic shocks. He highlighted the need to identify bottlenecks and solutions to reduce waiting times at the borders, and to strengthen legal frameworks and implement long-term digital and sustainable trade facilitation plans.
The training is part of a long-term partnership between the Republic of Moldova and UNECE, including the 2017 Study on Regulatory and Procedural Barriers to Trade and two 2021 studies on the impact of COVID-19 on trade and structural transformation in the Republic of Moldova on MSMEs and on the impact of COVID-19 on female-owned MSMEs. UNECE is devoted to further assisting the Republic of Moldova in implementing long-term trade facilitation plans to help enhance the country’s position as a reliable and strong trading partner.