Chisinau, September 6 (Infotag). The organizing committee of the “Moldova’s Investment Climate” forum, to be held in Chisinau on September 30, hopes the recommendations made by the people of business will be heard and put into practice by the Moldovan Government.

The forum is being organized by the Economic Council working under the Prime Minister’s auspices. Its Chairman Mr. Alexandru Sirbu, the Sun Communications Company Director, told a news conference in Infotag today that the forum will in fact be held in two stages. On September 12-16, five roundtable conferences will be held on such issues as business environment and investments in the Republic of Moldova, development of businesses in the localities, fiscal and budget policies, credit policy, trade and export policy. The roundtables’ recommendations will find their reflection in the forum’s final Resolution.

The forum’s second part will comprise a plenary sitting on September 30 to be attended by approximately 1.4 thousand people of business and country authorities representatives.

Alexandru Sirbu said the forum presents a particular importance now that the Republic of Moldova is on the verge of serious changes and transformations related to European Union enlargement: “After Romania joins the European Union in 2007, Moldova will become a next-door neighbor to the EU, so we must be ready to take part in working out the state strategy of the neighborhood”.

Efes Vitanta Moldova Brewery Director General Mr. Jacob Tihman remarked the republic’s dynamic economic development is impossible without investment attraction. In his opinion, Moldova has the CIS’ best investment-protection legislation, so this republic ought to make all it can to attract new investors. He also indicated a whole number of such advantages as e.g. an enviable geographic location, abundant labor force, and other.

Orvento-Metal Company Director General and Chairman of the Timpul Club of the People of Business Mr. Igor Krapivka pointed out the government had lately taken some measures to ease the tax burden. However, those were fragmentary, isolated steps that failed to produce expected results. Mr. Krapivka believes the Moldovan fiscal legislation is imperfect, so it is one of the biggest barriers to investment attraction to the country.