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During 13-14th of June, the Ministry of Economy, Moldova Investment and Export Promotion Organisation (MIEPO), in partnership with EBA and with the support of GIZ, have organised for the very first time “Moldova Automotive Days” - an event aimed at attracting new investments and enhancing the public-private dialogue in the automotive industry.
The event was attended by sectorial companies, public authorities, diplomats, potential investors, as well as regional leaders of the automotive-components industry. The event highlighted the opportunities brought by this sector in trade and the national economy, the facilities offered by Moldova, the current legislation amendments, and many other aspects to consider when investing. The event started with the welcome speeches of Pavel Filip, Prime Minister of Moldova, and Pirkka Tapiola, Head of the EU Delegation. The Prime Minister underlined that such an event is a proof of the industrial revival that is currently taking place in Moldova and mentioned the efforts that are being undertaken to adapt the legislation to the needs of the private sector. Mr. Tapiola mentioned how the automotive sector became a pillar of the Moldovan economy in just 10 years, with most of the investments coming from or though the European Union. His Excellency also accentuated the role of the European Business Association in actively lobbying the right changes and for pushing the business climate in the right direction.
The event continued with four discussion panels accompanied by Q&A sessions, and a practical workshop. The first panel was launched by EBA President, Thomas Moser. The panel gathered regional leaders, who gave a macro perspective on financial and supply chain conditions. Among the speakers of this panel were Dimitri Gvindadze, Head of the EBRD Office in Moldova, Anja Quiring from the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Lisa Immensack, BME Association for Supply Chain Management, Vitalie Iurcu, Deputy Minister of Economy and Martin Zwotzl from Gebauer & Griller. This session was moderated by Mr. Moser, who listed the specific benefits and framework that Moldova has to offer, and underlined the importance of the procurement part in this industry and the productive environment for public-private dialogue. The other panel discussions touched upon the business and investment opportunities, HR development and education, moderated by EBA Executive Director Mariana Rufa, optimization of regulatory procedures for the automotive sector and some success stories. Mrs. Rufa argued the need for a demand-driven education system and the legal amendments that EBA has managed to obtain through its automotive committee, the only sectorial committee of its kind in Moldova.
Over the same event, a practical workshop focused on presentation and discussion of the new draft Regulation on dual education, targeting a better applicability of the apprenticeship contract, has been organized by GIZ and EBA, where EBA members and other companies from various sectors: automotive, banking, ICT and constructions, shared their views on this new initiative. EBA will continue to work closely with GIZ and other partners in developing a Position Paper comprising the comments of the private sector aimed at improving the proposed draft regulation.
The first day ended with a visit to the Cricova Cellars, where the Ambassadors of Germany, Japan and Italy welcomed the participants of the event. In the second day of the event, the participants had B2B sessions, followed by on the spot visits to automotive plants in Orhei and in Balti.