The International Labour Organization held a training session on business expansion opportunities through accessing subsidies

The seminars were organized within the Local Employment Partnerships (LEP), launched by ILO in Causeni and Cantemir districts, to provide the participants with the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship, market analysis, marketing, as well as business financing opportunities.  During the training, participants were taught to develop business plans for launching, upgrading or expanding their businesses. With these business plans, the entrepreneurs will be able to access subsidies under Article 40 of the Law on Employment stipulating partial compensation of the purchase of raw materials or equipment if they create a new job.  Also, based on these business plans, the entrepreneurs could apply for a subsidy or a loan, and the ILO, through Local Employment Partnerships, could provide them with subsidies for three months in view of hiring unemployed persons.

Since 2016, ILO provided support in developing and implementing active employment programs. This year, based on the Implementation Agreement, the NEA will implement the active measures stipulated by the Law on the Promotion of Employment and Unemployment Insurance, namely:  Article 39 providing for consultancy and assistance to launch a business, as well as Article 40 providing for support to local initiative projects. These measures are addressed to people who want to set up their own business, as well as to employers who intend to expand their business, purchasing equipment and thus creating jobs.

Employers working in rural areas and wishing to hire unemployed persons, registered by the territorial employment subdivisions of NEA, can submit their business plans to the NEA to benefit from a sole subsidy: compensation of 65% of incurred expenses, but not more than 10 average monthly salaries in the national economy, i. e. maximum 81,075 lei.  The employer is bound to maintain the created jobs for a period of at least 12 months.

One can find more information about local initiative projects support in the Guide on accessing the measure on "Support for local initiative projects" and on the portal https://www.angajat.md/ro/node/544608.

The cost of activities for the implementation of active measures is over 120 thousand US dollars, provided under the ILO project "Reactivation of social dialogue for an effective response to COVID-19 in Moldova and its application to job creation through Local Employment Partnerships".

”The crisis caused by Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the deficiencies of the Moldovan labour market. The ILO-supported project comes to help the people in need, providing opportunities to launch or expand businesses and create jobs. The creation of Local Employment Partnerships, such as those launched by the ILO in Cahul, Cantemir and Causeni districts, has proven to be an effective way to solve the labour market problems at the local level. We are convinced that LEPs will effectively contribute to the creation of new opportunities for business and jobs development and will provide better conditions for the social and economic development of these districts ", says Raisa Dogaru, director of the NEA.