Moldovan MP says parliament voted laws to stabilize economy against external shocks

The parliament, during the four-year term, has voted for laws aimed at stabilizing the economy in the face of unprecedented external shocks, such as the border war, the pandemic, the refugee crisis, logistical blockages caused by war and energy blackmail. The head of the commission for economy, budget and finances, Radu Marian, made statements to this effect, while unveiling a summary of the most important initiatives approved by the current parliament.

The lawmaker said that the parliament had made essential, historic decisions for our country, adopting over 1,500 laws and decisions.

'We have advanced faster than ever toward EU accession and have secured the opening of negotiations. This progress would not have been possible without the reforms adopted in parliament, dozens and dozens of laws,’’ Radu Marian emphasized.

According to the official, the commission for economy, budget and finances was in charge of about 650 laws and legislative decisions, accounting for about 40 per cent of all laws adopted by the legislative body.

‘’Last week, we had the last parliament meeting, during which we could vote  organic laws. Although this work of this parliament continues, until a new one is appointed, now is a good opportunity to sum up,’’ said Radu Marian.

In the economic field, the most important decisions approved, according to the MP, regard the doubling of the minimum wage, which has reached 5,500 lei, approving six legislative packages to reduce bureaucracy, which saved businesses over 1 billion lei, adopting four annual budgets and over ten revisions, including the Plus Budget.

‘’Tax changes were approved, whereby the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were exempted from paying income tax, if they reinvest their profit in the company, which generated additional cash flows of almost 4 billion lei. We supported big business by approving accelerated depreciation (faster recovery of investments in fixed assets),’’ noted the head of the commission for economy, budget and finances.

Additionally, the legal framework was created for the 373 program of interest subsidy and credit guarantee for economic agents, a programme that generated investments of 5 billion lei. The volume of guaranteed loans increased more than 10 times, from 200 million annually in 2020 to over 2.2 billion lei in 2024, Radu Marian noted.

At the same time, lawmakers approved the first state aid program of Moldova for strategic industrial sectors, through which the state will be able to reimburse up to 50 per cent of investments of at least 500,000 euros. And to increase access to financing for purchasing a home, the First House Plus programme was approved, which expanded the criteria for granting credits.

In the energy sector, the parliament removed bureaucratic barriers to the construction of wind and solar power plants, which led to an increase in local renewable energy production — from 3 to over 20 per cent by 2025.

‘’We approved the obligation to create natural gas reserves. We passed laws that broke our dependence on Gazprom: we removed their control over the gas transport network and, through public audits, clarified the so-called debts of the right bank,’’ Radu Marian said.

Moreover, the construction of the Chisinau–Vulcanesti electricity line was accelerated, which is ready, according to the deputy, about 80 per cent and will be completed this year.

Also, financing of more than 300 million euros was approved for the full modernization of the centralized heating system in Chisinau (horizontal heating), which will lead to lower bills and more local electricity production.

The parliament of Moldova officially ended its mandate on July 11, but remains functional until the validation of the new legislature, due to be elected at the polls  on September 28, 2025.