RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/ACC/MOL/15
23 June 1999
(99-2566)
Working Party on the
Accession of MoldovaOriginal:  English
ACCESSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Information on Import Licensing Procedures
The Ministry of the Economy of the Republic of Moldova has submitted the following
information on Import Licensing Procedures, with the request that it be circulated to Working Party
members.
_______________WT/ACC/MOL/15
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Information on Import Licensing Procedures
The following respond to the questions contained in Annex3 of the WT/ACC/1.
I. OUTLINE OF SYSTEM
Moldova does not, at present, maintain quotas or other quantitative restrictions on imports. A
range of goods such as ammunition, explosives, drugs, medication, gold and silver are subject to
licensing in accordance with Article XX and XXI of the GATT. The licensing for alcohol and tobacco
products has been abolished.
The Republic of Moldova has a unified licensing system based on the provisions of
Governmental Decision 777 of 13 August 1997, with recent amendments: Governmental Decision
716 of 30 June 1998  and Governmental Decision 76 of 22 January 1998.
Most goods enter the Republic of Moldova without an import licence. However, certain goods
which may affect the health of citizens or raise environmental or national security concerns require alicence to be imported into the country. The licenses do not establish any limitations on the quantities
of goods.
The provisions of Governmental Decision 777 of 13 August 1997 authorises certain
institutions to issue licenses for specific transactions, thus being limited to those transactions. Theinstitutions and the product groups covered are as follows:
(a) Special Governmental Committee
Product Group HS-Code Reason for
licensingGATT
Reference
Weapons, ammunitions, militaryequipment, kits to produce suchequipment, works and services in the field
of technical-military cooperation93.00 National
securityArt. XXI (b)(ii)
Explosive substances 36.01-36.04 National
securityArt. XXI (b)(ii)
Nuclear materials, technologies,
equipment and installations to producesuch materials2844, 8401 National
securityArt. XXI (b)(ii)
(b) Ministry of Health
Product Group HS-Code Reason for
licensingGATT
Reference
Pharmaceutical products 1204, 1207,
1211,2924, 2935-2938,
2941, 3001-3006,
370110, 4014,
4015, 481840,
481890, 7017Protection of
human,animal or
plant life or
healthArt. XX(b)
Medical and optical equipment, parts
and accessories, bio-media for thedevelopment of microorganisms9001-9004, 9018-
9022, 3821Protection of
human,animal orArt. XX(b)WT/ACC/MOL/15
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Product Group HS-Code Reason for
licensingGATT
Reference
plant life or
health
Diagnostic tests and chemical reactives 3822, 38084 Protection of
human,
animal or
plant life or
healthArt. XX(b)
Drugs, substances with psychotropic
effects; materials to produce such
substances1302, 2921, 2922,
2926, 2929, 2932,
2939, 280610,
2807, 28416,
290231, 290911,291411, 291412,
29143, 291524,
291633,
29242950,
29329073-29329071,
293332, 29394,
29396. Protection of
human,
animal  or
plant life or
healthArt. XX(b)
(c) Ministry of Agriculture and Processing Industry
Product Group HS-Code Reason for
licensingGATT
Reference
Poisons 280480, 280540,
2837, 2838,
284160, 2904,
2907, 2908,
291521Protection of
human,
animal or
plant life or
healthArt. XX(b)
Chemical and biological products for
plant protection and stimulation of plant
growing.31, 3808 Protection of
human,
animal or
plant life orhealthArt. XX(b)
Tools and devices for vet services 9018-9022 Protection of
human,
animal or
plant life or
healthArt. XX(b)WT/ACC/MOL/15
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(d) Ministry of Finance
Product Group HS-Code Reason for
LicensingGATT
Reference
Precious metals (silver and gold),
objects made thereof, alloys,
semifabricates, wastes containing
precious metals (except electronicarticles containing precious metals),7106, 7108, 7113,
7114, 7115, 7118,
711210Special role
of gold and
silverArt. XX (c)
II. PURPOSES AND COVERAGE OF LICENSING
1. The Republic of Moldova has a unified licensing system that applies to arms and military
equipment, silver, gold and alloys, chemical substances and poisons, pharmaceutical products
and drugs.
2. The licensing systems apply to goods irrespective of their origin.3. The import licensing system is not intended to restrict the quantity or value of imported
goods. It is designed to provide up-to-date information on trade in commodities of social orsecurity concern. Licensing is believed to be the least costly way of securing such
implementation.
4. Import licensing is authorised under the Government Decision No. 777 of 13 August 1997.
The Government can modify or rescind its decision at will.
III. PROCEDURES
1. Goods imported under import licensing procedures are not subject to restriction as to the
quantity or value of imports.
2. (a) An applicant for a licence may submit an application at any time. Licenses normally
are issued within five days from the date of application. Licences can be obtained in a shorter
period of time for goods arriving without a licence.
(b) A licence can be granted immediately on request.
(c) A licence is issued for the period requested by the importer. There is no minimum
time-frame between the date of the issuance of the licence and the date by which the
importation must occur. Procedures do not vary according to the period of the year.
(d) Applications are considered by the bodi es responsible to issue the licenses after
receipt of all necessary documents (see V, below). The competencies are set out in Annex 1
of Governmental Decision No.777, and are laid out in the above table.
3. Where activity licensing is involved, a firm not licensed for the appropriate activity would be
refused an import licence. Otherwise failure to satisfy the requirements of V.1. below, in theonly grounds for denying a licence. The reasons for a refusal must be provided in writing to
the applicant. An applicant may contest a baseless refusal to issue a licence through the
judicial system.WT/ACC/MOL/15
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IV. ELIGIBILITY OF IMPORTERS TO APPLY FOR LICENCE
1. All legal persons are equally eligible for import licenses.
V. DOCUMENTATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION FOR
LICENCE
1. Submission of the following documents for licence issuance is required:
- A request;
- An application form;
- Selling or purchasing contract concluded with a foreign partner;
- Copy of registration certificate;
- Certificate from Fiscal Inspectorate confirming that the applicant has honoured all his
obligations to the Budget and to the Social Fund.
- Certificate from the National Bank and the Customs Department confirming that the
applicant has repatriated all foreign exchange earnings from previous foreign tradetransactions within the prescribed time limit.
2. Upon actual importation the following documents are required:
- Licence;
- Selling-purchasing contract.
3. No licence fee is payable.4. No deposit or advance payment is required for the issuance of a licence.
VI. CONDITIONS OF LICENSING
1. Import licenses are issued with the period of validity requested by the importer. Moreover,
based on well-grounded request by the applicant, a licence extension may be granted. An
authorised official must affirm a licence extension in writing .
2. If a licence is not utilised, be it partially or wholly, it is cancelled and returned to the issuing
institution. There is no penalty payment.
3. Licenses are not transferable between importers.
4. No.
VII. OTHER PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
1. There are no other administrative procedure.
2. Foreign exchange is automatically provided through the banking system for goods to be
imported. A licence is not required as a condition to obtain foreign exchange. Foreign
exchange is always available to cover licenses  issues. The only formality to be performed in
order to obtain foreign exchange is to present the import contract indicating the amount to bepaid for the imported goods.WT/ACC/MOL/15
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LICENCE
Series_______________________ number__________________ date_________________________
Economic Agent
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
(The name and headquarters of juridical/natural persons)
Licence to
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Type of activity)
Conditions of activity
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Licence terms of validity _____________________________ till __________________ 199_______
The signature of the person,
authorised with licensing functions
The seal of the institution,
delivering the licence
__________