Transparent and constructive dialogue with decision-makers, on the uniform application of legislation, and the permanent participation of business people in the decision-making process are essential to create a fair competitive business environment for all market players. These are the conclusions of the round table "Transparent and inclusive governance: the participation of the business environment in the dialogue with public authorities", held on September 26 in Hincesti. The event, which is part of a series of five round tables organized at national level, aims to facilitate the creation of a constructive dialogue between public authorities and the business environment.

"We want a dialogue between the authorities and entrepreneurs, we want the voice of the business environment to be heard, and the business proposals to become priorities on the Government's agenda. In this sense, communicating with the business environment, I was aware of the importance of the prevention law according to which, at the first violation, the economic sanction is applied to the economic agent. Therefore, we want to convince the authorities that they must communicate with the business environment in order to find common solutions", says Veaceslav Ionita, economist at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Policies (CAPE). In his opinion, public authorities do not fully and responsibly fulfill their tasks under the law on transparency in decision-making, and there is no real dialogue between public authorities and business.

"The business environment must be very receptive, actively participate in the decision-making process and offer proposals for changes in legislation or draft laws, because this directly affects the business activity. Unfortunately, few entrepreneurs come up with proposals and participate in the decision-making process”, recommends Tatiana Cojocaru, director of the Hincesti branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

According to the representatives of the business environment present, the normative acts are elaborated and adopted without consulting the business, without taking into account their recommendations. Also, the current system of state controls is mainly aimed at sanctioning the economic agent, even if he committed unintentional violations, exports of agricultural products are monopolized, and the consolidation of agricultural land is not stimulated, problems that harm the business.

"There should be support from the state for the promotion of vocational schools. We participate in public exhibitions and events at national and international level, we also have a label and a logo and we are proud of our agricultural grape production, but we cannot promote ourselves. Here is the major issue”, says Nicolae Basarab, director of vocational school from Leova.

"The laws must work from above - from the president to the one with the hoe. We must all be equal before the law. Monopolization also bothers us a lot and there is no competition. And the control bodies fine us for any delay in reporting. All these things exhaust us", says Alexandru Tabara, a farmer from Carpineni village, Hincesti district.

And the public procurement system faces a number of problems related to open data access at all stages of the procurement process. The lack of transparency, but also other major issues in the field lead to winning public procurement by interests, including political affiliation. "Moldova's public procurement will become transparent and efficient when all public procurement procedures will be with the use of electronic platforms, when public procurement will be permanently monitored by civil society and all public procurement contracts will be made public", said Viorel Pirvan, lawyer at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Policies (CAPE).

In their turn, the local public authorities consider that the development of the business environment in the Republic of Moldova depends on the observance of the legislation and on the permanent communication between the legislator and the entrepreneurs “Dialogue is necessary to exist permanently. The legislator needs to know what the problems are in all areas of entrepreneurship in order to provide solutions that are put forward by entrepreneurs themselves. And then the laws will be perfect because we are constantly evolving and improving the legislation" , considers Natalia Raileanu, head of the economy and investment attraction department, within the Cimislia District Council.

And Ion Sirbu, the head of the agriculture department within the Hincesti District Council, is of the following opinion: “There are problems in all fields, but as in agriculture there are nowhere. And when it comes to controls, the farmer puts his head down and thinks better of paying than having more inconveniences and with that he will continue to work. We talk about problems and sometimes we create these problems ourselves.”

The issues and recommendations of the participants in the round table "Transparent and inclusive governance: participation of the business environment in the dialogue with public authorities" are to be examined and included in a position note from the business environment, subsequently submitted to the new Government.

Similar round tables will take place in the cities of Balti, Cahul, Orhei and Soroca.