EU Approved the Second Tranche of Macro-Financial Assistance in the Amount of € 30 Million

The European Commission approved the allocation of the second tranche of macro-financial assistance in the amount of € 30 million, the press service of the European Commission said. Of these funds, € 20 million is a loan, and another € 10 million is a grant. This is the second tranche of macro-financial assistance out of a total of € 100 million. “The assistance program is intended to cover Moldova’s external financing. This is especially important in connection with the coronavirus pandemic while implementing a large-scale and ambitious reform program,” the European Commission said in a press release. EU macro-financial assistance in the amount of € 100 million provided for € 60 million on credit and € 40 million for a grant. The funds are aimed at supporting economic stabilization and structural reform programs in the country. The EU announced assistance under the government of Pavel Filip. However, this aid was repeatedly postponed. The first tranche of assistance in the amount of € 30 million Moldova received last year under the government of Maia Sandu. According to NM, due to the terms of the contract, Moldova will miss the third tranche of € 40 million. It should be noted that a scandal arose a month ago in Moldova because of the second tranche of macro-financial assistance. The fact is that one of the conditions for obtaining it was the adoption by parliament of a new law on NGOs. The socialists refused to adopt it, arguing that the new law contains provisions that will allow other countries to intervene in the affairs of Moldova from abroad. The Democratic Party and the opposition ACUM bloc, which is part of the ruling coalition, were ready to support the draft. However, in the end, everyone supported the bill. This week, the MFAEI and the Ministry of Finance informed NM that Moldova has met all the conditions and now the EU should make its step.