Prime Minister Pavel Filip participated at opening of "Moldova Automotive Days 2017" event today, organized in premiere in Moldova. The event brings together producers and suppliers of machine building industry in Moldova and abroad, government representatives, academics, students and young people interested in the automotive industry, the government's communication and protocol department has informed.

In the greeting message, Prime Minister Pavel Filip mentioned that during the last years the auto industry has become one of the most dynamic in Moldova, both according to the volume of foreign direct investments made and the number of created jobs. "I want to believe that this event represents the start of our country's industrial rebirth, a long-awaited phenomenon since the 1990s when the Moldovan industry accounted for more than 60 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product," said Pavel Filip.

The prime minister also said the Executive to be still open for dialogue with business environment, and several reforms were promoted during 2016 and the first semester of 2017. These include: reducing number of permissive acts, from over 400 to almost 150, simplifying reporting procedure to state institutions and reducing number of institutions with control functions. In this context, Pavel Filip said the work was done on a new Labour Code to improve the conditions for business development in Moldova.

"A great thing, in my view, is to have big international players in the automotive industry in the country. We are glad that they chose Moldova to invest and it is nice that they continue to expand their business and thus contribute to economic growth, which consequently means fighting poverty, stopping migration and increasing the welfare of the population", said Prime Minister.

The event will also host a job fair, where university graduates in Moldova can find a job in the automotive sector. In this context, Pavel Filip mentioned that the Government has supported creating opportunities for youth and provided all conditions for them to stay in Moldova.

Attending the event, Pirkka Tapiola, the Head of the European Union Delegation in Chisinau, noted that the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Moldova – EU increases Moldova’s attractiveness for foreign investors.

"It is a good sign, which shows that what we are building together through the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement becomes reality. But no agreement is working on paper, without governmental reforms on perspective. I welcome the attention given by the Prime Minister of Public Administration Reform. It is important to provide results to citizens and businesses. I also welcome the Government's recent decision on regulatory reform," said the EU Delegation head.