“As we indicated in the PAS election program, we will expand the criteria for the application of the diaspora repatriation law so that the number of beneficiaries will be much higher. We have started working on the new bill. We plan to adopt it in the first plenary sessions after the validation of the new parliament,” Radu Marian reported.
Currently, Moldovan citizens returning to the country for permanent residence enjoy a number of tax and customs benefits. In particular, they are exempted from import duties until October 1, 2025, including the possibility of importing one car under a number of conditions (useful life not exceeding 9 years, customs value not exceeding 400 thousand lei, engine volume up to 2500 cm³ and other requirements).
It is worth mentioning that other parties in the parliament have also envisaged significant measures for the diaspora in their programs. For example, “Our Party” proposes to create a State Agency for Diaspora Affairs, to abolish customs duties on parcels from abroad worth up to 500 euros, and to allow tax non-residents to purchase goods in cash in Moldova for up to 200 thousand euros. The “Alternativa” electoral bloc developed a diaspora support plan and a “Dignified Return” program.
It should be recalled that the PAS party received almost 80% of votes at foreign polling stations in the parliamentary elections on September 28.
Lucia Sklifos, an activist of the Moldovan community in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, who has lived in Northampton for 10 years, told the podcast “Electoral Phenomenon of the Diaspora” that the way Moldovans vote in the UK affects them in a certain way.
“A concrete example is the negotiations between the Moldovan and British authorities on the recognition of Moldovan driver’s licenses. I can already confirm that our compatriots have started this process here. Yes, there are still some issues to be discussed, but in my opinion, there is progress,” Sklifos said. She has been living in England for 10 years and plans to return home on retirement: “And I hope very much that I will receive a European pension”.
At the same time, the Moldovan authorities have not reacted in any way to the problem that the diaspora in Russia is facing these days. For more than a week buses with Moldovan license plates, which transport Moldovan passengers from Russia and Belarus, have been blocked at the exit from these countries towards the European Union. Mihail Cornea, leader of the public organization of Moldovans in Russia “Dar pentru Moldova”, the carrier, called the situation critical. He appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova.
“For more than a week now, all buses traveling to Moldova from Russia and Belarus have been blocked at the exit from these countries towards the EU. On Sunday, we were warned in advance – they said it was elections, and in order to avoid pick-ups and electoral corruption, not to create queues at the customs. But now we don’t understand what the problem is and why buses with Moldovan license plates can’t cross the border,” stated Cornea.
There have been no comments from the Moldovan Foreign Ministry on this issue. The last public announcement of this ministry is about the diplomat of the month of September Tatiana Barak – press secretary, head of the Service of Public Diplomacy, Strategic Communications and Media Relations, who showed “professionalism and active participation in the organization of communication during the parliamentary elections”: “During two days, Tatiana Barak spent more than 30 hours coordinating the accreditation of more than 100 foreign journalists, the work of 301 foreign polling stations, the activity of diplomatic and consular missions”.
