The access to finance (credits, loans, leasing) is one of the major and recognized constraints to business development, which is so critical for the sustainable economic growth of any country, including Moldova. This constraint, partially addressed by the Access to Agricultural Finance Activity of the Compact, constricts private investments in the farming sector, as well as in other sectors of the economy, and hampers the development of small and medium enterprises.

Its complex nature requires strengthening and continuation of the efforts of all stakeholders in order to make good progress in facilitating the access to finance. Drawing on the experience acquired and lessons learned during the Compact implementation, SDA Moldova intends, subject to availability of funds, to be pro-active in this process and to support the post-Compact sustainability of the public and private investments and continue contributing to the country’s sustainable economic growth.

The Access to Finance Activity (AFA) aims to step up and catalyze efforts to facilitate the access of micro, small and medium enterprises in the farming sector, as well as other sectors of the national economy, to financing.

The key AFA tasks are focused on:

• exploring and coordinating approaches to bring together development partners to facilitate and streamline access to high value agriculture finance in Moldova;
• developing access to high value agriculture finance policy reform action plan and attracting the support of the Government of Moldova and donors;
• leading the reform of key legislation that will have a positive impact on access to high value agriculture finance;
• developing a one-window system for loan applications (credits, loans, leasing) to facilitate the application process for financing;
• continuation of the 2KR Hire-Purchase Program (farming equipment) implemented by the Implementation Unit of the Increase of Food Production Project (2KR);
• collecting the Compact loans made for investments in the post-harvest infrastructure with the support of the Credit Line Directorate.

Therefore, one of the objectives of SDA Moldova is to establish an access to finance donor community and develop an action plan to facilitate the access to finance following consultations, cooperation and experience exchange within this community, as well as with the civil society and government agencies. The action plan will indicate the reforms that need to be implemented to significantly facilitate the access of businesses to financing, and the players that might be engaged in its implementation.

Given that SDA Moldova’s role is to catalyze access to finance reforms, it will take concrete steps towards this goal, subject to availability of time and budget. One of these steps is to develop and launch in cooperation with the e-Government Center a one-window system to facilitate the application process for financing from banks, microfinance and or/leasing organizations. This will result in saved time, money and human and logistical efforts the applicants need to make in order to collect all the required documents.

Finally, the 2KR Hire-Purchase Program will use the Compact funds out of the Hire-Purchase Revolving Fund to buy irrigation equipment and farming machines for small and medium farms to be used for growing high-value agricultural products.