Nasui highlights farm, tech, and tourism potential for Moldova

Moldova holds strong economic growth potential across agriculture, IT, and tourism if the state removes bureaucratic barriers for private business, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Claudiu Nasui said on TV8.

Unlocking comparative advantages

Speaking on the “Cutia Neagră” public affairs program, Nasui emphasized that sustainable expansion must stem from private enterprise rather than state intervention. The minister pointed out that the domestic economy must transition from exporting raw commodities toward processing high-value agricultural goods.

“In agriculture, there is certainly great ongoing potential, particularly in value-added products,” said Nasui. “Moldova must fully capitalize on sectors where it holds a clear comparative and competitive advantage.”

Beyond agriculture, Nasui identified the technology sector, general hospitality, and specialized medical travel as promising engines of future modernization. Local entrepreneurs, he noted, possess the ingenuity required to capture international market share if authorities do not impose unnecessary red tape.

State as a catalyst, not an obstacle

“Entrepreneurs are exceptionally inventive and capable,” Nasui said. “My objective is to ensure the state stops holding them back. If public institutions can provide a launchpad, that is welcome, but at the very least, they should stop putting obstacles in their path.”

Citing regional precedents, the minister recalled that Romania’s rapid digital connectivity boom during the 1990s and 2000s flourished precisely because public authorities refrained from intrusive market regulation.

Addressing labor market concerns regarding generative artificial intelligence, Nasui rejected claims that technological progress inevitably destroys jobs. He argued that artificial intelligence functions as a productivity multiplier, comparing its adoption to the advent of spreadsheet software, which made accounting professionals faster and more versatile.

Nasui was nominated as economy minister during a cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan on August 25, succeeding Eugen Osmochescu. Having previously served as Romania’s economy minister between 2020 and 2021, Nasui stated that he intends to leverage his cross-border experience to integrate Moldova into European capital networks, complementing the government’s pending public administration reform plan due by September 22.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

RELATED COVERAGE

Nasui highlights farm, tech, and tourism potential for Moldova

Dumitru Petruleac