Ministry of Agriculture: The agricultural subsidy fund is to be increased by 624 million lei
The subsidy fund for agriculture will be increased by 624 million lei after the state budget will be adjusted in April, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea said at the public hearings organised by the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and European Integration on the progress of the implementation of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union. According to the minister, there are other sources for the modernisation of agriculture and food industry in line with the requirements of the European Union.
Increased competitiveness in agriculture can be ensured through subsidies and permanent investments, said Minister Vladimir Bolea. According to him, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry is identifying new sources for subsidising agriculture.
"The source of income are those 155 million of which, five million will go to the Agency for Intervention and Payments for Agriculture (AIPA) and the National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA), these two quite important institutions and are raised to the level of institutions that correspond to the EU IQ, but 50 million will go, directly, through AIPA, as a form of subsidy or in the form of a grant for agriculture. The French investment agency intends to invest in the restoration of irrigation systems in the Republic of Moldova, 40 million dollars to support farmers, we are talking about small-scale farmers," said Vladimir Bolea.
The National Agency for Food Safety has digitised four authorisation forms for economic agents, and other projects on digitisation of the phytosanitary system will be implemented, according to the conditions set by the European Union, said ANSA Director General Ruslan Musteață.
"The ANSA concept has been approved, a rather ambitious concept that includes up to 19 modules, operational systems that between them must work. We are at the stage of developing the E-service portal, so that every economic agent will have that one-stop shop within our system. We are in discussion with USAID, we have a project we are part of, there are discussions with other partners, because we need permanent support," said Ruslan Musteață.
According to the information presented during the public hearings, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry has transposed 131 of the 200 legal acts provided for by the Community acquis, while 38 others have been partially transposed.
