Tourism companies can access grants of up to 500 thousand lei
Starting next week, business people can apply for a new support program for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of tourism. Applications for participation in the program can be submitted to the Organization for the Development of Entrepreneurship (ODA). Beneficiaries of the Program will be able to obtain grants of up to 500 thousand lei, with an own contribution of 30 percent of the value of the project.
The new support tool is aimed at those who carry out entrepreneurial activities in tourism or related sectors, with potential for organizing tourism activities in villages and cities with a population of up to 30 thousand inhabitants, the officials say. The program has three components: information and promotion, non-reimbursable financial support and monitoring and evaluation.
"The financial resources can be used for the creation of accommodation facilities, food facilities, they can also be used for everything related to the reconstruction of some buildings", emphasizes the director of ODA, Dumitru Pîntea.
"In a single year, last year, the turnover in tourism exceeded 800 million dollars. So this is the revenue recorded by the tourism industry. We want to see these numbers grow just as we want to see the number of tourists grow. We want to do much more", declared the Minister of Economic Development and Digitization, Dumitru Alaiba.
The Organization for the Development of Entrepreneurship signed a grant contract with the European Union for the financing of support programs in the total amount of 8 million euros, for a period of three years. About 500 thousand euros are intended for the Support Program for the development of small and medium enterprises in the field of rural tourism.
"The European Union offers support to the Republic of Moldova on its way to a sustainable market economy. The program represents a unique opportunity for SMEs from rural areas to implement new business ideas, to expand their own businesses and to create jobs", said the EU ambassador in Chisinau, Janis Mazeiks.
