News about Monetary policy

Officers of the Main Department for Combating Fraud of the State Security Service (SIS), led by prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), uncovered a money laundering scheme. It is estimated that the damage to the budget amounted to more than 173 million lei.

The Iranian authorities have put into circulation banknotes with a face value of 10 million rials, the largest in the country’s history. The decision was due to accelerating inflation and a sharp increase in demand for cash among the population.

WASHINGTON, DC – The purpose of international sanctions is to inflict economic damage on an adversary. If you’re the United States, you do this by seizing assets or banning transactions with certain countries, often targeting specific people or organizations close to the targeted regime. Given the global reach of the dollar system, U.S. sanctions tend to strike fear everywhere. But now the U.S. finds itself in the shoes of the one receiving them.

In February 2026, a significant cash outflow was recorded in Moldova: the volume of withdrawals exceeded their receipt in banks by 1,028 million lei, which emphasizes the increase in the population’s preference for cash.

Russia is preparing to cut military spending for the first time since the start of the war against Ukraine. But this reduction does not mean a weakening of war funding: the government is looking for ways to spend more efficiently.

On Friday, March 20, the British pound fell in value due to rising oil prices, which worsened investor sentiment.

The Board of Directors of the Bank of Russia at a meeting on March 20 reduced the key rate by 50 basis points, down to 15%. This is reported by RBC with reference to the regulator. This is the seventh consecutive rate cut in the current cycle of monetary policy easing, which started in June 2025.

As a result of rising energy prices in the context of the geopolitical situation, inflationary pressures may intensify until the first quarter of 2027, in this regard, the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) partially updated its February forecast and went on high alert .

Austria wants to temporarily reduce the tax on mineral fuels: as a first step, the tax on diesel and gasoline is to be reduced by 5 euro cents per liter each, the Austrian federal government has announced.

New standards of consumer protection, on the one hand, and control over the activities of professional participants, on the other hand, are unlikely to cool down demand in the financial market. But, undoubtedly, they will add confidence to both sides of “money relations”.

The Executive Committee of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) at its March 19 meeting kept the prime rate at 5% per annum, leaving at the current level the norms of mandatory reserve requirements for commercial banks of the Republic of Moldova.

The signature of the recipient/supplier will not be required on the supplier’s copy of the tax invoice for the supply of services as well as electricity, natural gas, thermal energy, hot water and telecommunication services limited to telephony, internet and television services.

The quota trading system has divided EU countries at today’s summit. The 27 leaders agree that energy prices are a serious problem, but disagree on how to solve it.

The National Financial Market Commission (NFMC) has launched an online DAE (effective annual interest rate) calculator to help consumers objectively assess the cost of loans.

An information system “e-Zilier” has been developed in Moldova. It will concentrate information on employers – beneficiaries of unskilled labor, as well as on individuals performing such work for remuneration. In addition, it will reflect vouchers generated for day laborers, including the payment documents generated and their status.

US President Donald Trump, during a meeting at the White House, called on the Federal Reserve to hold a special meeting to cut the rate, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Moldova’s economy “looks better and better”. The projected growth for 2025 is 2.4%. The country’s rating has risen three notches. Lending to the private sector has grown “fantastically”. Anca Dragu, Governor of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM), said this at a public lecture for young people.

The Ministry of Finance and the National Bank of Moldova join the international financial education campaign “Global Money Week 2026”. From 16 to 20 March 2026, the institutions will organize a series of events to promote financial education and basic knowledge in the management of public and personal finances.

The abolition of VAT and excise tax exemptions for enterprises on the left bank of the Dniester will bring more than 3.3 billion lei in additional revenues to the Moldovan budget. Such calculations, with reference to the Customs Service, are given by the authors of the draft law, which aims to “equalize” the tax regime on both banks of the Dniester.

For Ukraine, as for other Central and Eastern European countries outside the eurozone that are already largely integrated into supply chains and trade with the EU, the additional benefits of euro adoption seem limited, but the risks are substantial.