USAID Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity (MISRA)
Original publication date: January 21, 2022.
Overview of MISRA Objectives and Implementation Components
Nathan, a Cadmus Company, is implementing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity (MISRA), a five-year (2022-2027), $35 million program.
The objective of MISRA is to stimulate sustainable and inclusive recovery from the regional crisis caused by the war in Ukraine; and improve the institutional, business, and trade enabling environment in Moldova. MISRA is a follow-on to the successful Moldova Structural Reform Program (MSRP).
The program is achieving these objectives through cooperation with Moldova’s public institutions and private sector to:
- Accelerate the implementation of trade liberalization mechanisms
- Adopt structural and investment climate reforms
- Accelerate financial sector reforms
- Improve economic governance in the public sector
- Enhance strategic communications between the public and private sectors
MISRA is implemented across four (4) key components:
Component 1: Strengthen Economic Governance Institutions
Component 1 supports the modernization and rethinking of business and citizen-centered public services by streamlining processes and incorporating digital tools into the public systems. This will help create regulatory and operational environments that support the development and growth of businesses and service delivery in the virtual environments, and stimulate the development of the digital economy. MISRA cooperates with public sector institutions that oversee economic activity and have a direct impact on Moldova’s business environment. Component 1 conducts outreach to key public sector economic institutions to determine their capacity needs and formulates solutions for improving their services, transparency, and efficiency. Activities focus on digitalization, data integration and public access to information, and improved service delivery. These reforms reduce legal, regulatory, and other barriers that increase the costs of doing business, impede investments, and limit the participation of women and other marginalized groups
Component 2: Pursue Structural Reforms to Improve the Trade and Investment Enabling Environment
Component 2 supports the Government of Moldova in streamlining its regulatory and operational practices to improve trade and the business environment for job creation, investment, sustainable growth, and o pursue a quick economic recovery. Structural reforms are focused on three integrated workstreams: structural reforms; trade facilitation; and transport and logistics. These reforms include many sub-activities, including support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), microenterprises, regulatory impact assessments (RIAs), regular public-private sector dialogue and consultations, an improved inspections system, digitalization, and e-commerce, all of which are being implemented in coordination with MISRA’s other technical teams. Activities under Component 2 focus on identifying solutions for increasing trade, improving government efficiency, lowering costs to business, and helping to identify appropriate rapid responses to the crisis generated by the war in Ukraine, particularly through improved customs processes to facilitate the movement of goods.
Component 3: Accelerate Financial Sector Reforms and Inclusiveness
Component 3 supports the development of an inclusive financial sector and infrastructure to enhance efficiency, transparency, and resilience. This helps ensure that ongoing reforms are defined and implemented in a manner that is inclusive and responsive to the development needs of all citizens and business, and the digital infrastructure and software are effectively implemented in a manner that support enhanced efficiency, transparency, accountability, and economic resilience. MISRA’s priorities focus on the three areas of reform: financial sector governance, inclusion, and digital finance.
Component 4: Strategic Communications
The main objective of this cross-cutting component is to improve the public’s understanding of, and support for, reforms in the GOM’s institutional and business- and trade-enabling environment in Moldova. Strategic communications ensure a common understanding and shared vision among the Government of Moldova, private sector, and citizens on Moldova’s institutional, structural, and financial sector reforms. This component includes: improving the quality and delivery of information about MISRA and the government’s reform efforts and successes; increasing public information; and contributing to public-private dialogue to ensure public participation in, and understanding of, government decision-making.
About Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity (MISRA)
The Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity (MISRA) will build on prior and on-going USAID and USG activities in the business enabling environment and trade facilitation space to strengthen Moldova’s economic growth and resilience, and by doing so, reduce vulnerable areas for corruption. In specific, MISRA will stimulate a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the regional crisis, improve the institutional, business, and trade enabling environment, create conditions for the adoption of structural and investment climate reforms, accelerate financial sector reforms, improve economic governance in the public sector, and enhance strategic communications between the private and public actors.
