United Nations Development Programme, Switzerland support economic specialization of three Moldova's micro-regions

It is about the settlements Cosnita, Criuleni, Parata, Dorotcaia and Slobozia-Dusca, with economic specialization in rural tourism – the cluster, The Heart of Dniester; Nisporeni, Valea Mare, Lozova, Dolna, Micleuseni, Cioara, Ciutesti, Balauresti and Seliste: cultivation and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants – Herbafruct cluster; Cimislia, Sadaclia, Ciucur-Mingir, Cenac, Valea Perjei, Hartop, Ivanovca Noua, Gradiste, Abaclia and Mihailovca: breeding sheep and goats, as well as processing of dairy products and their derivatives – the cluster Cimislia-Basarabeasca.

Each beneficiary organization will receive by 145,000 dollars, in order to implement initiatives of strengthening the clusters’ capacity, of developing the value chains and of promotion of the competitiveness through innovations. Over 50 local entrepreneurs will benefit from support and 400 jobs will be created or improved.

„The first step to the local development is to discover the ‘’hidden jewelry’’ of a region. These are sectors or clusters, which have a visible potential of growth of the value added. Within the project, Resilient and inclusive markets in Moldova, we back the development of the rural tourism in the Dubasari region, the turning to good account of the medicinal and aromatic plants from the Nisporeni town and the neighbour communities and the sale of dairy products from sheep milk and goat’s milk from the Cimislia town and the neighbour communities,’’ the director of the Swiss Cooperation office in Moldova, Guido Beltrani, said.

„The creation of an economic cluster implies the specialization of local economies, optimization of the activities which local residents know and do best of all, consolidation of the diverse expertise, of local perspectives and common goals. This allows getting transformative results: decent jobs and development of local businesses and Switzerland and UNDP will support the testing of the clusterizing in 3 micro-regions, in order to prove it impact,’’ UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova Daniela Gasparikova said.

Thus, the clusters benefit from an overall sum of 435,000 dollars each; thus the initially announced support of 400,000 by the Resilient and inclusive markets in Moldova project was supplemented. The beneficiary clusters were selected by public contest in April 2023.

The Resilient and inclusive markets in Moldova project is set to enhance the local economic development and the resilience in communities through backing the local entrepreneurship, increasing the investments and increase in the number of decent jobs for local residents, especially young people, women, disabled people, migrants who returned home and refugees.