First meeting between Moldovan negotiators, IMF representatives held in Chisinau

Chisinau, 24 September /MOLDPRES/- The first meeting of a team of negotiators on behalf of Moldova with International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, on a visit to Chisinau, took place at the Economics Ministry today. The sides exchanged opinions about the social and economic evolution of Moldova, the latest tendencies in economy, according to a press release by the Economics Ministry.
The discussions with IMF are vital for Moldova in the context of carrying out the reform agenda that the new government assumed in the activity programme for the next three years, Deputy Prime Minister, chief-negotiator on behalf of Moldova Stephane Bride said. The official added that the relations with the fund were extremely important to ensure progress to meet all commitments due to be implemented in the context of the Association Agreement with the EU.
Touching upon the macroeconomic situation, the Economics Ministry reported that the country's economy had been influenced by a string of factors with negative impact in the first eight months of 2015. It is about restrictions imposed by Russia on Moldovan exports, recession in the country, crisis in Ukraine, decrease in food prices globally, situation in the banking sector and drought this summer.
Despite the negative factors, the industry registered a-6.7 rise, agriculture - 2.8 per cent, in the first half the national public budget got up by 10.3 per cent than in 2014. The expenses increased by 11.1 per cent, budgetary deficit was up by over 400 million lei during seven months, reaching 949 million lei. The internal state debt managed by the government increased by 30 per cent, as a result of depreciation of Moldovan leu.
The Economics Ministry forecasts GDP rise of 1.5-3.5 per cent yearly for 2016-2018.
The team of IMF experts, led by Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar, is on a working visit to Chisinau on 22 September -6 October 2015. The mission is in Chisinau "in the context of the preparations for periodical consultations for 2015 on the basis of the IV Agreement of IMF Statute, as well as to initiate talks on policies that might be the basis for a programme backed by IMF".
 
(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcază)