RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/MOL/8/Add.1
5November 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4824)
Original: English Working Party ontheAccession
oftheRepublic ofMoldova
ACCESSION OFTHE REPUBLIC OFMOLDOVA
Additional Questions andReplies
Addendum
TheMinistry oftheEconomy oftheRepublic ofMoldova hassubmitted thecurrently applied
tariffratesin1996and1997inelectronic format (available intheSecretariat) aswellastheInformation
onImport Licensing Procedures (annexed hereto). Thefollowing legaltextsreferred tointheAdditional
Questions andReplies totheMemorandum ontheForeign Trade Regime ofMoldova (document
WT/ACC/MOL/8) areavailable intheSecretariat (Accessions Division, Room 1126) forconsultation:
- LawOnFreeEconomic Zones No.1451-XII of25May1993;
- LawOntheProcurement ofGoods, Works andServices fortheNeeds oftheStateNo.1166-XII
of30April 1997;
- Government Decision OnImproving theMechanism ofRegulating Foreign Trade No.777
of13August 1997;
- Medico-Biological Requirements andSanitary Rates Regarding theQuality ofRawMaterials
andFoodProducts(approvedbytheDeputy-MinisterofHealthNo.5061-89of1August1989);
- Information Concerning theRegistration ofDrugs intheRepublic ofMoldova, published by
Institutul National deFarmacie oftheMinistry ofHealth oftheRepublic ofMoldova;
- Listofcompanies inwhich theState hasashare of25percentormore;
- Summaries ofLaws oftheRepublic ofMoldova:
- OnSpecialLegalStatusofGagauzia(Gagauz-Yeri)No.344-XIIIof23December1994;
- OnLimitation ofMonopolistic Activity andDevelopment ofCompetition No.906-XII
of29February 1992;
- OnAudio-Visual Services No.603-XIII of3October 1995;
- OntheBases oftheForeign Economic Activity intheRepublic ofMoldova No.849-XII
of3January 1992;
- OnFinancial Institutions No.550-XIII of21July1995;
- OnPatents forInventions No.461-XIII of18May1995;WT/ACC/MOL/8/Add.1
Page2
- OnTrademarks andAppellations ofOrigin No.588-XIII of22September 1996;
- OnCopyright andNeighbouring Rights No.293-XIII of23November 1994;
- OnProtection ofIndustrial Designs No.991-XIII of15October 1996;
- OnPlant Variety Protection No.915-XIII of11July1996;
- OnStandardization No.590-XIII of22September 1995;
- OnCommercial Secret No.171-XIII of6July1994;
- OntheRoad Fund No.720-XIII of2February 1996;
- OnProtection ofConsumers 'Rights No.1453-XII of25May1993.
__________WT/ACC/MOL/8/Add.1
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ANNEX 3
(WT/ACC/1)
INFORMATION ONIMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
I. OUTLINE OFSYSTEMS
Moldova doesnot,atpresent, maintain quotas orother quantitative restrictions onimports.
Arange ofgoods suchasammunition, explosives, drugs, medication, goldandsilver aresubject to
licensing inaccordance withArticles XXandXXIoftheGATT. Inaddition, import licensing has
beenintroduced forpetrol anddiesel, aswellasforalcohol andtobacco products.
Theprocedures andfeesforlicences toimport alcohol andtobacco products differ fromthose
applicable toother import licences. Thelicensing foralcohol andtobacco products willtherefore be
treated asaseparate licensing system forthepurposes ofthequestionnaire. Where noseparate answers
areprovided, thestatement applies tobothlicensing systems.
II. PURPOSES AND COVERAGE OFLICENSING
1. There aretwolicensing systems. Theimport ofgoods listed inAnnex 1ofGovernment Decision
No.777 isgoverned bythegeneral licensing system. Theimport ofalcohol andtobacco products is
governed byaspecial licensing system provided forinAnnex 4ofGovernment Decision No.777. The
HScodes forthealcohol andtobacco products willpublished inaministerial regulation tobeissued
laterthisyear.
2. Bothlicensing systems apply togoods irrespective oftheirorigin.
3. Thelicensing requirement isnotintended torestrict thequantity orvalue ofimports. Licensing
forthegoods listed inAnnex 1,except forpetrol anddiesel, hasbeenintroduced toprotect human,
animalorplantlife,theenvironment,nationalsecurityandpublicmoralsinaccordancewithArticlesXX
andXXIGATT. Licensing forpetrol anddiesel ispartofaseries ofmeasures toreduce taxevasion
andfraud inconnection withtheimport ofthese products through better monitoring. Licensing for
alcohol andtobacco products hasbeenintroduced forfiscal reasons.
4. Licensing isperformed according toGovernment Decision No.777 of13August 1997. The
goods subject tothegeneral licensing system arelisted inAnnex 1ofGovernment Decision No.777
andareidentified withHSnumbers. Alcohol andtobacco products arenotspecified further in
Government Decision No.777 butwillbeidentified withHSnumbers inaministerial regulation to
beissued laterthisyear.
Asthelicensing systems hasbeenintroduced bydecision oftheGovernment itcanalsobe
abrogated oramended byGovernment without recourse toParliament.
III. PROCEDURES
1. There arenorestrictions astothequantity orvalue ofimports.
2. There isnoquantitative limitonimportation.WT/ACC/MOL/8/Add.1
Page4
2.1. General Licensing System
(a) Alicence isissued fivedaysafterthecomplete setofdocuments havebeensubmitted. Licences
canbeobtained inashorter period oftimeforgoods arriving without alicence.
(b) Alicence canbegranted immediately onrequest.
(c) There arenolimitations astotheperiod oftheyearduring which applications forimport licences
canbemade.
(d) Foreachproduct subject tolicensing there isoneadministrative organ authorized toconsider
thelicence application andtoissuethelicence.The competencies aresetoutinAnnex 1ofGovernment
Decision No.777.
2.2. Licences forAlcohol andTobacco Products
(a) Alicence isissued within onemonth afterthecomplete setofdocuments havebeensubmitted.
Licences foralcohol andtobacco products cannot beobtained inashorter period oftime.
(b) Licences foralcohol andtobacco products cannot beobtained immediately onrequest.
(c) There arenolimitations astotheperiod oftheyearduring which applications forimport licences
canbemade.
(d) Applications forlicences fortheimportation ofalcohol andtobacco products areconsidered
byoneadministrative organ, theMinistry ofEconomy andReforms.
3. Applicationsforimportlicencescanberefusedonlyifthedocumentssubmitteddonotcorrespond
tothelegislation inforce oriftheprovisions ofGovernment Decision No.777 arenotrespected.
IV. ELIGIBILITY OFIMPORTERS TOAPPLY FOR ALICENCE
Only legalpersons areeligible toapply foranimport licence.
V. DOCUMENTATIONANDOTHERREQUIREMENTSFORAPPLICATIONFORALICENCE
A. General Licensing System
1. Thefollowing documents havetobesubmitted inorder toobtain animport licence:
- arequest (nospecific format required);
- anapplication form;
- selling orpurchasing contract concluded withaforeign partner;
- copyofregistration certificate;
- certificate fromthetaxinspectorate confirming thattheapplicant hashonoured allhis
obligations totheBudget andtotheSocial Fund;WT/ACC/MOL/8/Add.1
Page5
- certificate from theNational Bank andtheCustoms Department confirming thatthe
applicant hasrepatriated allforeign exchange earnings from previous foreign trade
transactions within theprescribed timelimit.
2. Upon actual importation thefollowing documents arerequired:
- licence;
- selling-purchasing contract.
3. Thelicence feeis0.1percentofthevalue ofthegoods imported which ispayable when the
licence isissued.
4. Nodeposit oradvance payment isrequired fortheissuance ofalicence.
B. Licences forAlcohol andTobacco Products
1. Thefollowing documents havetobesubmitted inorder toobtain animport licence foralcohol
andtobacco products:
- certificate ofregistration issued bytheStateRegistration Chamber (Ministry ofJustice);
- certificate ofregistration astaxpayer indicating thefiscal code;
- certificate fromthetaxinspectorate confirming thattheapplicant hashonoured allhis
obligations totheBudget andtotheSocial Fund;
- certificate ofthetaxinspectorate indicating thequantities ofalcoholic beverages and
tobacco products imported andtaxes paidinprevious years;
- statement about thepackaging oftheabove mentioned products.
2. Upon actual importation acopyofthelicence must beattached tothecustoms declaration.
3. Thelicence feeisMDL 200.000 perannum.
4. Nodeposit oradvance payment isrequired fortheissuance ofalicence.
VI. CONDITIONS OFLICENSING
A. General Licensing System
1. Import licences arevalid fortheperiod indicated inthem andexpire attheendoftheyear
inwhich theyhavebeenissued. Theapplicant canrequest thatthevalidity ofthelicence beextended.
Thenewperiod ofvalidity willbecommunicated bytheissuing institution inwriting.
2. Ifalicence isnotutilized, beitpartially orwholly, itiscancelled andreturned totheissuing
institution. There isnopenalty payment butfeepayments already made arenotreimbursed.
3. Licences arenottransferable between importers.
4. There arenoother conditions attached totheissue ofalicence.WT/ACC/MOL/8/Add.1
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B. Licences forAlcohol andTobacco Products
1. Thelicence isissued fortwelve months fromthedateofissuance. Upon expiry ofthelicence
theimporter hastoapply foranewlicence.
2. There isnopenalty fornon-utilization ofthelicence.
3. Licences arenottransferable between importers.
4. There arenoother conditions attached totheissue ofalicence.
VII. OTHER PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
1. There arenoother administrative procedures.
2. Foreignexchangeisautomaticallyprovidedthroughthebankingsystemforgoodstobeimported.
Alicence isnotrequired asacondition toobtain foreign exchange. Foreign exchange isalways available
tocover licences issued. Theonlyformality tobeperformed inorder toobtain foreign exchange is
topresent theimport contract indicating thesumtobepaidfortheimported goods.