Controls scare the business environment

Since 2013, the principles and procedures for organizing and conducting state control over companies have been unified in a single piece of legislation binding on all public authorities/institutions. But businesspeople note multiple problems and abuses in the process of conducting state controls on entrepreneurial activity. This is the opinion expressed by IDIS Viitorul expert Viorel Pârvan during the 15 minutes of economic realism show.

Companies in the Republic of Moldova perceive controls for the purpose of sanctioning, and through the frequency and manner of deployment, checks create barriers to business. 45.4% of economic agents are of the opinion that the inspections of state institutions generate corruption. The number of business executives who have undergone checks in the last 3 years is very high - almost 80% of those interviewed by IDIS "Viitorul". About 1/3 of these controlled companies said they had over 10 checks over the last 3 years.

"The figures are alarming as the moratorium on planned or unexpected state controls was instituted between April 1 - September 30, 2016. Only some checks, such as those in exceptional situations, those in the field of public health surveillance, the field of anti-fire rule compliance, were admitted, "Viorel Pârvan said.

The vast majority of controls were unannounced controls. Some companies had more than five unannounced controls over the past three years.

These types of start-ups are considered as "business-related" risks because they are initiated as a result of a petition (may even be business competitors or other non-bona five individuals), are often not well-grounded and do not require notification in advance of the economic agent.

Only 15% of the companies said they had challenged the control report. Most business people say it makes no sense to question the act issued by the body that carried out the control. If the act of verification and the findings are unfounded, the economic agent prefers not to fight in lawful ways and to prove the act unlawful. He considers it opportune and less costly (money, time, personal, moral) to resort to unofficial means of "solving" the case.

To solve the problem, Viorel Pârvan recommends 1. to strengthen the consultative and preventive character of the control, by elaborating a law according to which the first inspection visit by the public authorities is an informative one. 2. the unannounced inspections carried out by the State Labor Inspectorate and the National Agency for Food Safety must be carefully supervised by the State Chancellery and in case of detection of the alleged abuses, illegalities or violations, the competent bodies must be notified. 3. II. The control carried out by the State Tax Service must be subject to the fundamental principles, rules, and general requirements.

The show is made by IDIS "Viitorul" in partnership with Radio Free Europe.

For further details, please contact the press officer, Victor URSU, at the following address: ursu.victoor@gmail.com or 069017396.