PM Munteanu prioritizes institutional credibility over IMF loans to catalyze private investment
Moldova’s upcoming cooperation program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will focus on macroeconomic validation rather than new financial disbursements. Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu confirmed that the IMF Executive Board will meet on February 27 to evaluate the country's progress under Article IV.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the national budget currently maintains a stable position, eliminating the immediate need for external liquidity injections. The primary goal of the new agreement is to secure an institutional "seal of approval" to reassure international markets.
"We do not need financial injections at this stage. We need certification and recognition of our macroeconomic performance to map our future strategic actions," Munteanu stated during a broadcast on TV8.
The government aims to leverage this IMF validation to attract private sector capital. While Moldova continues to receive financial support from the European Commission, the Prime Minister noted that the IMF’s reputational backing is currently more valuable than direct loans.
This strategic shift follows the expiration of a previous funding cycle on October 19, 2025. Approximately $170 million (approx. 2.9 billion MDL) from that program remained undisbursed as evaluation missions did not take place last year.
Of the undisbursed funds, over 1 billion MDL was linked to the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), while 1.8 billion MDL (approx. €91.8 million) was allocated for resilience and sustainability mechanisms. Economic experts suggest that while some fiscal commitments were unmet, the loss of these tranches will not significantly impact the nation's economic stability.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
