Prime Minister Vlad Filat on January 4, 2010, during a press conference, presented the Report regarding the first 100-days of the activity of the Government of the Republic of Moldova.

In its first 100 days of activity, the new government managed to lay a basis allowing to overcome the economic downturn and ensure the development of democratic and economic reforms. Also, Moldova made significant progress in relations with development partners, neighbouring countries and EU countries.

Filat said that when the new government was sworn in, Moldova's economy was in deep crisis. The GDP went down by 7.7 per cent in the first nine months of 2009 compared with the same period of the year before, and the construction sector, industry, transport and communications field were badly hit. In these circumstances, the government launched a string of actions to stabilize the economic situation.

The cabinet worked out and approved the economic stabilization and restoration plan, under which the economy will see a positive dynamics starting from 2010. Based on this document, the government started dialogue with development partners and the IMF, and the programme for 2010-12 opened up opportunities of significant budgetary support from the IMF. At the same time, the authorities put together a plan aimed at removing administrative constraints in the business sector, amended the legislative framework regulating the licensing of enterprises, took actions to demonopolize the meat market, etc.

Referring to the social sector, Filat said that the cabinet started reforming the pension system and decided to implement a new social assistance system, under which social allowances will go up and the state-guaranteed minimal income will be increased up to the level of extreme poverty, etc. The premier also said that a number of reforms and changes in the judiciary were kicked off to ensure the independence of the judiciary in Moldova.

As concerns European integration, Filat said that on this period, the new government obtained the EU's support at the highest level. He recalled that the Moldova-EU Cooperation Council, which met in Brussels in December, decided to start talks on an association agreement, with the first round of official negotiations due on 12 January. Also, an EU mission is expected in Chisinau in February to start negotiations on the liberalization of the EU visa regime for Moldova. At the same time, during the first 100 days of government, the authorities managed to spur and develop bilateral relations with such countries as Germany, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Poland, France, Great Britain, Norway, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia and Greece.

Touching upon the Transnistrian conflict, Vlad Filat said that the new government showed strategic consistency, tactical flexibility and openness to the settlement of problems faced by Moldova's eastern districts, which allowed for swift resumption of ties both within the five-plus-two format and within the Chisinau-Tiraspol dialogue. Also, a string of actions were taken, such as the implementation of a constant regime of privileges for residents of the eastern districts while applying for and receiving identity documents, and these actions are to be prolonged in 2010 through social and infrastructure projects in this region.

At the end, Prime Minister Vlad Filat specified that one of the government's main objectives in 2010 will be to overcome the economic crisis, create a competitive economy at internal level and attractive at external level. The government will remove obstacles to exports and will demonopolize a string of sectors, he said. The prime minister added that the year of 2010 will be a difficult one but will offer many opportunities which Moldova is to turn to account. As a result of the actions undertaken by the government in its first 100 days, Moldova has much clearer prospects, Filat concluded.

Download the Government's Report here:

Government's Report - 100 days (translation)