About 2.7 billion lei invested in Moldova's economy through 373 programme

Chisinau, 18 October /MOLDPRES/ - About 2.7 billion lei has been invested in the national economy through the 373 programme in 15 months since its launch. This means that 605 investment projects have been already finished and are at various stages of implementation.  

According to the Organization for Entrepreneurship Development (ODA), the investments made support the development of companies where about 6,580 people are employed and over 1,380 new jobs are estimated to be created in the near future.   

The biggest investments were made in the Centru region: more than one billion lei; followed by Chisinau, with 935 million lei; North region, with 485 million lei; South region, including the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, with 247 million lei. The average value of the loans is of about 3 million lei.   

The 373 programme is demanded by companies from a wide range of activity sectors. The biggest investments were made in the sector of production and supply of energy, which attracted about 42 per cent of the overall investment projects. The transport and depositing represented another significant field, collecting 22 per cent; followed by the processing industry with 15 per cent. Notable investments were made in such sectors as the health and social assistance, education, leisure, etc.      

The 373 programme was launched in July 2023 and in the last spring the government extended the access to financing and simplified the procedures. Presently, both the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the trade sector (excepting the ones which commercialize alcoholic beverages and tobacco), and the ones in the field of maintenance and repair of vehicles and motorcycles benefit from easier access to financing. The maximal sum of the credit was from 15 million lei to 40 million lei. The programme allows also the financing of procurements of raw materials and materials needed for the production or providing of services, within the limit of 30 per cent of the investment project’s value. At the same time, the maximal ceiling of guaranteeing was increased from 40 to 80 per cent of the loan’s value through the Loan Guarantee Fund and the banking procedures for the providing of loans were simplified.