Moldovan economics ministry official says programme on getting citizenship for investments to be used to attracts as many investors as possible

Chisinau, 12 July /MOLDPRES/ - The programme on getting Moldova’s citizenship through investments will be used in order to promote the country’s image abroad and to attract as many investors as possible. State Secretary at the Economics and Infrastructure Ministry Vitalie Iurcu has made statements to this effect in an interview given exclusively to MOLDPRES.  

”We must not see this programme only as one of providing Moldova’s citizenship, but use it at a maximum, in order to promote our country’s image as country of investments,” Iurcu noted.  

To achieve this goal, at least 30 international-level events will be organized annually. Officials of Moldova involved in the attraction of investments and promotion of exports will participate in them too. “We will present the competitive advantages of Moldova in the region, opportunities we provide from the fiscal viewpoint through the free economic zones, industrial parks and this will generate more investments in the country,” Vitalie Iurcu said.  

The official also said that such programmes had been initiated back in 1990s, noting that they were presently functional in more states, among which Switzerland, Austria, Canada, the USA, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Lithuania. “The package for getting the stay permit or a citizenship is practically homogenous from one state to another. In most cases, they include the following conditions: either you make a one-off donation, or you make investments in certain sectors which the concerned state regard as priority, such as you make a deposit in a local bank or buy securities, which you should preserve for a period of time or you invest in a native enterprise. As a result of this, you get stay permit in this country of the passport of this state. This is an international practice, which will evolve in the context of the globalization,” the state secretary at the Economics Ministry said.  

The programme on getting the citizenship through investments will be worked out and promoted by an international consortium selected by public tender. The contract with the consortium was signed in Chisinau on 11 July.

According to a ranking on the attractiveness of the citizenships of various states, Moldova is on the 42nd position out of 190 countries.

(Reporter N. Sandu, editor M. Jantovan)