Latest Update: 24/02/11

Project No. 

515

Preceeding Project

2^nd basic phase

SEQUA Project Manager

Christiane Hardt

Local Contact

Volker Stötzner (intermittent long-term expert)

Client

Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Programme

Chamber and Association Partnership Programme

Region

Southeastern Europe

Country

Republic of Moldova

SEQUA Business Segment

Chambers and Associations

Duration

01/12/10 – 31/05/12

German / European Partner(s)

(Name, location, country)

Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations

Berlin, Germany

Local Partner(s)

(Name, location, country)

• Commercial and Industrial Chamber of the Republic of Moldava (headquarter at Chisinau, Moldava)
• National Confederation of Employers' Associations (headquarter at Chisinau, Moldava)

Project Targets

Small and medium-sized businesses benefit from increased efficiency of their representative organizations.

Results targeted

• The range of services is based on the fair market needs of SMEs, especially in the regions, and is established as a source of self-financing.
• The access of Moldovan SMEs to the EU market is improved.

(The consolidation phase will focus on two instead of three results. The result is "active role of the Moldovan project partners in advocating for SMEs  vis-à-vis government institutions" has been cancelled. The same applies for the addition of the second result, "The access of Moldovan companies to the EU market has improved and the German-Moldovan business relationships are intensified.")

Teasures planned

• Staff development activities at the CCI RM
• support of the CCI RM to build a uniform trading register
• measures to establish a Center for occupational health and safety at the CNPM

Impact for the region / country, sustainability

In Moldova, SMEs contribute about 35% to the value added. However, they are confronted with difficult conditions that improve only gradually in the course of the reform process begun under the liberal-democratic government. One consequence is that the increased export potential, which exists since 2008 as a result of trade preferences granted by the EU, is not fully exploited. By strengthening the partner organizations and the creation of market-oriented services a sustainable and long range contribution to the improvement of the business environment for SMEs can be made. The associated direct and indirect employment and income effects contribute to poverty reduction. By focusing on activities in the regions the rural exodus is countered.

Relevance of the project to the country/ region and background information

The Republic of Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. After a positive economic Development from 2001 to 2007 with growth rates between 4% and 8% the financial and economic crisis of the years 2008 and 2009 led to a sharp fall: In 2009, GDP fell by 6.5%, export and import rates as well as the Total foreign direct investment fell dramatically. To overcome the crisis and to ensure the country’s access to the international market, it is necessary to make the SMEs more competitive and to further the EU approach.