2004年-世界发展银行全球_The_Republic_of_Moldova___Trade_Diagnostic_Study_210页_17mb

Summary of the Trade Diagnostic Study on the Republic of Moldova

Core Content

This document is a Trade Diagnostic Study on the Republic of Moldova, prepared by the World Bank's Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Group in December 2004. The study evaluates the country's trade performance, business environment, and challenges in accessing international markets, particularly the European Union (EU). It also outlines key policy recommendations aimed at improving trade efficiency, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable economic growth.

Main Points and Key Information

1. Economic Context and Trade Performance

• Economic Impact of the Soviet Union's Disintegration: Moldova's economy was severely affected by the collapse of the Soviet Union, leading to a significant drop in per capita income and making it the poorest country in Europe.
• Recent Growth: Starting in 2000, Moldova experienced a rebound with cumulative growth of over 20 percent, driven by workers' remittances and wage increases.
• Trade Concentration: Trade remains heavily concentrated in agricultural products, with a large portion directed to CIS countries, particularly Russia.
• Export Performance: While exports have grown, imports have grown even faster, resulting in a negative contribution to growth from net exports.
• Trade Barriers: Informal barriers, including corruption, complex customs procedures, and high transport costs, have limited trade restructuring and investment.

2. Trade and Poverty Linkage

• Trade's Role in Poverty Reduction: Trade can reduce poverty by stimulating growth, increasing employment, and lowering product prices.
• Barriers to Poverty Reduction: Informal trade barriers, such as cumbersome procedures, corruption, and high costs, prevent the full realization of trade's potential to reduce poverty.
• Simulations: Policy reforms that reduce trade costs and improve access to overseas markets could reduce poverty by more than 10 percentage points.

3. Trade Policy and Regional Agreements

• Tariff Complexity: The current tariff schedule is complicated, increasing administrative burdens and reducing efficiency.
• CIS Free Trade Area (FTA): Moldova is heavily reliant on the CIS FTA, which absorbs over half of its exports, but the FTA has shortcomings such as lack of transparency, unilateral exclusions, and no effective dispute resolution.
• Romania-Moldova FTA: This agreement has also had limited impact due to inadequate implementation and complexity.
• EU FTAs: Moldova is part of six FTAs with Southeast European countries, but its trade with the EU remains low compared to expected levels.
• Need for Reform: The export promotion strategy should balance offshore and onshore objectives, with a focus on quality and competitiveness.

4. Market Access to the EU

• GSP Preferences: Moldova benefits from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which provides zero tariffs for certain products. However, processed agricultural products are still classified as sensitive, and wine is excluded from preferences.
• EU Subsidies: EU agricultural subsidies have a limited impact on Moldova's trade with the EU, but new EU members may offer new opportunities for Moldovan exports.
• EU Enlargement: The EU's recent enlargement has increased competitive pressure on Moldovan producers but also opened new markets for its exports.
• Domestic Barriers: Even with reduced EU tariffs, domestic barriers such as customs procedures, working capital constraints, and product regulations significantly limit Moldova's ability to access the EU market.

5. Customs Administration

• Corruption and Delays: High bribe tax and delays in customs clearance undermine competitiveness and trade efficiency.
• Revenue Mobilization: Customs duties play a minor role in import taxation, and the complex tariff structure is not justified by the low revenue collected.
• Recommendations: A simpler and more uniform tariff structure is needed to improve efficiency and transparency. The customs procedures should be reformed to reduce delays and improve fraud detection.

6. Transportation and Logistics

• High Transport Costs: Moldova's transport infrastructure is underdeveloped, leading to high logistics costs and slow trade flows.
• Vehicle Quality and Permits: Poor vehicle quality and permits contribute to cost inefficiencies and delays.
• Cost Estimations: The annual cost of operating a 20-ton truck in international trade is high, with logistics costs making up a significant portion of trade expenses.
• Need for Investment: Significant investment in transport infrastructure is required to reduce costs and improve market access.

7. Financial Services and Trade

• VAT Refunds: The VAT refund system is inefficient, with only 45% of requests being satisfied regularly.
• Letters of Credit (LCs): The LC system is burdensome, leading to high costs and delays for exporters.
• Insurance: Foreign trade receivables insurance is limited, affecting export financing and risk management.

8. Standards and Conformity Assessment

• Importance of Standards: Standards are essential for market access, product quality, and trade facilitation.
• Current System: Moldova's standards system is outdated, resembling the centralized control of the Soviet era.
• Recommendations:
  • Transition to international and EU standards.
  • Implement a national quality plan.
  • Reform conformity assessment to be more modern, transparent, and business-oriented.
  • Enhance independence and competence of testing, inspection, and accreditation bodies.

Key Recommendations

• Simplify and unify the tariff structure to improve efficiency and revenue collection.
• Reform customs procedures to reduce delays, corruption, and bureaucracy.
• Improve transport infrastructure and logistics efficiency to lower costs and enhance competitiveness.
• Strengthen the VAT refund system and financial services to support exporters.
• Move towards international and EU standards to facilitate trade and attract investment.
• Enhance awareness and participation of the private sector in the standards process.
• Improve domestic business and investment climate to support sustainable growth and poverty reduction.

Conclusion

The study highlights the importance of trade in Moldova's economic development and poverty reduction, but also identifies significant challenges in trade facilitation, market access, and business environment. To achieve sustainable growth, Moldova must reform its trade policies, improve infrastructure, and modernize its standards and customs systems. These reforms are essential for enhancing competitiveness, reducing costs, and integrating more deeply into the global and regional trading systems.