A request to this effect was received from the Council for the Examination of Investments of Significance to National Security (CEIISS), which has begun an in-depth analysis of the platform’s operations in Moldova.
The decision was taken at a meeting on 15 October. The Council analysed the risks relating to information security, the protection of personal data and the structure of control over the investor. As part of the assessment, the nature of the Yandex Group’s involvement in investment projects in Moldova is also being examined.
In addition, CEIISS has requested a detailed report from the National Centre for the Protection of Personal Data. The document must outline how user data is collected, processed, stored and transferred, as well as whether the platform complies with the requirements of national legislation.
“Our priority remains the provision of secure services that strictly comply with privacy and security standards, as well as national tax legislation,” the statement reads.
According to the document, the law grants the Council broad powers: it may impose conditions and restrictions on investments, require the sale of shares or assets, and suspend operations. These measures will be considered once the results of the assessment have been received.
How Yandex Go works
According to the authorities, Yandex Go does not provide taxi services, but merely grants the right to use its platform. Transport operators pay a commission of 12 per cent of the fare, on which they pay VAT at a rate of 20 per cent. Thus, for a journey costing 100 lei, the commission amounts to 12 lei and the VAT to 2.40 lei. In 2025, the state budget received around 12.5 million lei in VAT from these commission payments.
In 2025, taxi operators, including those using the ‘Yandex’ platform, paid around 216 million lei in taxes and contributions — 42 per cent more than in 2024.
The State Tax Service reported that, during audits carried out in the first few months of 2026, discrepancies were identified in approximately half of the journeys completed by 8,781 drivers. The audits are ongoing; the agency emphasised that tax evasion “will not go unpunished”.
Yandex Go responded to recent media reports, stating that passenger and driver data is processed in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, and that users are afforded adequate protection of their personal data.
The issue arose following media reports that last year the company generated a turnover of around 7 million euros without paying taxes in the Republic of Moldova.
Responding to a question about how the authorities explain Yandex’s continued operations in the country — given that a number of European states have imposed sanctions on the company following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine — Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea stated that the company’s activities are under the supervision of law enforcement agencies and the security services.
For her part, Moldova’s Minister of Finance, Victoria Belous, stated that taxes are paid regularly on the taxi services provided by the Yandex Go platform, whilst any violations are attributable to local taxi fleet owners, with whom Yandex has no connection whatsoever.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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