IMF mission appreciates Moldovan cabinet's intention to invest in developing infrastructure

Chisinau, 22 January /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Ion Chicu today had a meeting with the IMF Mission in Moldova, led by Ruben Atoyan. Attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Serghei Puscuta, Ministers Viorica Dumbraveanu and Anatol Usatii, as well as Governor of the National Bank of Moldova (BNM) Octavian Armasu, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.  

In the beginning of the meeting, the prime minister said: “I am happy to start the discussions about the way we successfully finish the present programme and initiate a new programme.”  

Ruben Atoyan said that the IMF Mission was the last of revising the programme and would also serve as stage for initiating a new programme. The IMF Mission’s goal is to discuss with the government the economic challenges faced by Moldova and how can they be managed. Among the subjects approached by the Mission’s team, there will be the corruption phenomenon, fiscal policies, BNM’s independence, management of public investments, etc.    

„There are intentions on behalf of Moldova to sign a new agreement with IMF. We are ready to start discussions to this end; yet, this is not the mandate of this mission. At the same time, the successful finishing of this programme is an important phase towards the initiation of a new agreement,” Atoyan noted.   

At the meeting, the sides exchanged information and opinions. They discussed the quantitative economic indexes, such as the budget deficit and the BNM’s reserves, amendments to the legislation, meant to manage the risks of the non-banking activities, fiscal policies, situation in the banking system, natural gas tariffs, subject of pensions and progress made in the recovery of the embezzled banks.     

The IMF Mission welcomed the government’s intention to invest in the development of infrastructure and urged the ensuring a reasonable balance between the monetary and fiscal policies.   

The International Monetary Fund’s team, led by the head of the Mission for Moldova, Ruben Atoyan, will be on visit to Chisinau on 22 January – 5 February.