Diaspora Business Forum addresses challenges and opportunities for investing in Moldova
Moldovan entrepreneurs who have settled abroad met in Chisinau today for the Diaspora Business Forum. The event featured a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities for investing in Moldova.
One of the panellists, Esenia Steckmest, has been living in Norway for over 20 years. She said that she had opened a business in Moldova, but still faces bureaucratic obstacles.
"I have purchased several properties, including in Chisinau, but I am still fighting with the authorities over a land lease for a terrace," she said.
Another panellist, Ștefan Chitoroagă, opened a consulting firm in Paris to help businesses from Moldova export to France. He said that Moldova has a lot to offer investors, but that the country needs to address its bureaucratic challenges.
"We are firmly convinced that the Republic of Moldova has something to offer," he said. "But we need to make it easier for businesses to operate here."
Minister of Economy Dumitru Alaiba acknowledged that Moldova still has a number of challenges, but said that the government is working to address them.
"We have a number of initiatives to cut down on bureaucracy," he said. "We are also working to improve the investment climate."
The Deputy Director of the Investment Agency, Ion Iordachi, said that Moldova is a good place to invest, especially in the tourism and agrifood sectors.
"We are talking here about tourism, agrifood. There are still some areas in which we need to invest," he said. "But we have a lot to offer investors."
The Diaspora Business Forum was organised as part of the Diaspora Days with the support of the "Policy Advice Fund" project.
