Legislative package on Moldovan economy's digitalization enters into force

Chisinau, 10 December /MOLDPRES/ - The legislative amendments on the economy’s digitalization, voted by the parliament on 11 November 2021, were promulgated by President Maia Sandu and published in Moldova’s Official Journal (Monitorul Oficial).  

According to the new legal provisions, it is possible the distance registration of business, of amendments to the acts on foundation of legal entities, as well as other aspects dealing with the distance business administration. So far, this has been impossible, even with the use of the electronic signature and documents.

Another provision relates to the distance compulsory issuance of permissive or confirmatory documents for business people, in electronic format. Till present, to get the document requested, one has had to go to the desk by him/herself or this became problematic during the pandemic. ‘’The new legislative package provides for the public authorities’ obligation to use, primordially, the electronic signature and the electronic document in these processes, at a request by the beneficiary and the traditional way – on paper, will be used only at request also for those who are not technologically ready,’’ the document reads.    

The amendments stipulate that the operators of personal data (economic agents, organizations, state institutions) are no longer obliged to register at the National Centre of Personal Data Protection. In some cases, this authorization process could last for months in a row. Another obstacle in the data protection field was dealing with the getting of the private person’s consent for the processing of personal data or it can be operated only in two forms – on paper with holographic signature or with the qualified advanced electronic signature. ‘’Now, the forms of getting the consent for processing the personal data is diversifying, thus allowing the development of technologies and the electronic commerce,’’ the quoted source said.    

Another set of legislative provisions from the amendments promulgated deals with the use of the qualified advanced electronic signature in labour relations. So far, the signing or changing of the labour contracts has been made only in written form on paper; now, this can be made at distance, with electronic signature.   

One of the essential legislative amendments is, however, the unilateral recognition by Moldova of the qualified advanced electronic signatures issued in the European Union states and the possibility for investors and Diaspora to interact at distance with the Moldovan authorities.

The legislative initiative promulgated today means also other instruments of digitalization of the citizen’s and business’ interaction with the state, by distance electronic ways, in matters dealing also with the use of the electronic proxy in relations with the public authorities, distance registration on the portal of public procurements and subsequently participation in electronic public procurements; possibility of distance processing of contracts with companies of public utilities, such as the providers of natural gas, electric energy, water and sewerage, communications, etc.    

The package of amendments for the economy’s digitalization was worked out by experts of the Economic Council under the Prime Minister of Moldova. The document was promoted in parliament, at an initiative by the head of the commission for economy, budget and finances, Dumitru Alaiba, with the full support of Deputy Prime for Digitization Iurie Turcanu.   

The legislative amendments as to the economy’s digitalization were elaborated within the implementation of the Roadmap for boosting the process of digitization of the national economy and development of the electronic trade, worked out by the Economics Ministry jointly with the Secretariat of the Economic Council under the Prime Minister of Moldova, with the international expertise provide through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, U.S. Agency for International Development, German Agency for International Cooperation, United Kingdom’s Glass and Glazing Federation and the International Finance Corporation.