Prime Minister in dialogue with entrepreneurs from Costești

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan met in Costești with local entrepreneurs from agriculture, food industry and manufacturing. The discussion focused on what helps them grow, the bottlenecks they face, and the ways in which the state can better support investments and exports.

Costești has approximately 8,500 inhabitants, more than some district centers, and the companies here generate a turnover of almost 900 million lei, about a quarter of the total turnover of all companies in Ialoveni district.

Almost 40% of the honey exports of the Republic of Moldova come from Costești, and there are nearly 1,000 table grape producers in the region.

An important share of investments in Costești also comes from the diaspora, which shows how strong the connection remains between people who have left and their home locality. Costești was also among the first villages in the Republic of Moldova to issue municipal bonds, purchased including by diaspora members. It is a good example of how innovative financial instruments can mobilize people’s savings and turn them into investments for community development.

“I really like the entrepreneurial spirit you can feel here. Costești is, in a way, a village with the muscles of a city. People produce, invest, export, and constantly seek to do things better. It is one of the localities that makes me optimistic about the future of villages in the Republic of Moldova. And the fact that people from the diaspora continue to invest here shows how strong their connection is with their home village,” said Tofan.

During the discussion with producers and exporters of grapes, fruit, and honey, as well as with industrial entrepreneurs, several concrete issues were addressed. Among these are the development of irrigation systems in the central area of the country, investments in modern technologies, and the expansion of sorting, grading, packaging, and storage capacities for fruit.

Representatives of the apiculture sector spoke about the fiscal framework and about measures that could contribute to the development and competitiveness of the industry. Farmers also discussed the need for clearer and more predictable subsidy mechanisms so that investments can be planned in the medium and long term.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the Government will focus on removing bottlenecks and on structural investments that increase productivity and added value: “We must invest in the things that allow our entrepreneurs to grow faster: irrigation, technologization, post-harvest infrastructure, processing, and better access to markets. Costești shows how much a community can achieve when there is initiative, hard work, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Our role is to help such communities reach their potential.”