​MOLDOVA ACHIEVED PROGRESS, YET THERE ARE UNSOLVED ISSUES – IMF MISSION

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, which worked in Moldova on May 23 through 27, maintains that the country achieved a certain progress, but some problems still remain unsolved.

“The IMF mission, headed by Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar, has visited Moldova on May 23-27, 2016. The main topics of discussion were authorities’ strategy in reforming financial sector and ensuring long-term reliability and stability of Moldovan banks. Progress was achieved in the development of a common vision on key issues, such as the necessity of strengthening banks’ management and solving the problem of nontransparent shareholders structure. However, some issues still remain unchanged”, the IMF press release said.

The document points at the fact that discussions of these issues continue within the context of negotiations on program of cooperation with the IMF during its next visit, the data of which will be agreed later.

The Moldovan Government also reports in a press release that Prime Minister Pavel Filip met the IMF experts’ team to sum up the results of their visit to Chisinau.

“Our project is aimed at improving Moldovan people’s living conditions and we are determined to reach this goal. The signing of the Moldova-IMF cooperation agreement is a part of this project”, Filip said.

He stressed that the set goals’ achievement demands will, vision and opportunities, which are available now in the country.

At the last Wednesday’s Government meeting, the Premier demanded Government Members to concentrate on reforms for progressing in negotiations with the IMF mission. He called to fulfill IMF requirements till the end of July in order to start negotiations on signing new memorandum with IMF. The mission, which finished its visit to Chisinau last week, did not have such mandate.

Earlier, the Government Head expressed hope that the IMF negotiations for signing a new memorandum will start in June. According to experts, even if the Government fulfills the roadmap, the negotiations with IMF may start not earlier than September 2016.