OREANDA-NEWS. May 22, 2015. Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici met representatives of more farmers’ associations in Criuleni, on 19 May. The participants discussed problems of the agro-food sector and considered more proposals to overcome them.

Gaburici made concrete proposals and actions, due to be implemented on the next period. „The government is busy with identifying efficient measures to support Moldovan agricultural producers. More initiatives meant to solve problems faced by farmers are in the parliament. We will try to insist that they should  be approved as soon as possible,” Chiril Gaburici said.

Among the most important requests of farmers were to increase the Agricultural Susidisation Fund for 2015 and to pay compensations due for 2014. Chiril Gaburici assured the farmers that the draft decision on due debts of the subsidisation fund for 2014 would be examined at the next cabinet meeting, so that the farmers be able to get the money as soon as possible. „We will soon start to work on rectification of the 2015 budget. We will try to find financial resources in order to increase the subsidisation fund, to the extent of possibilities. The government takes sustained efforts to back agricultural producers,” Gaburici.

The farmers also came up with a proposal to make amendments to the legislation in force, so that the entrepreneurial cooperatives established by agricultural producers be able to import oil products directly from distilleries. In this respect, Gaburici asked competent representatives of the Agriculture Ministry to examine this request and to present solutions. 

Another major problem invoked by farmers is the 10-per-cent tax applied to Moldovan products exported to Ukraine. „I discussed this issue with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Depending on the reply we are to get on the next days, we will react,” Chiril Gaburici said.

Farmers’ representatives also demanded that their access to preferential credits at commercial banks be facilitated, and the excise duties collected from the consumption of fuel by agricultural machinery be redirected from the road fund to the agriculture subsidisation fund. According to estimations, the agricultural producers contribute to budget accumulations with 300 million lei annually from excise duties on fuel.

Other topics discussed at the meeting were the amendment of the regulation on distribution of subsidisations, so that the process should be transparent and fair, backing small and medium farmers, reimbursement by agricultural producers of excise duties and value added tax (VAT) when purchasing diesel fuel for agricultural works, introducing the zero quota on income tax at agricultural enterprises for a five-year period, diversification of sales markets. Also, the participants referred to the setting up groups of producers to facilitate small producers’ access to markets.   

At the end of the meeting, the prime minister reiterated that the government relied on an open dialogue with farmers and was willing to consider all their recommendations and proposals.