Chinese Government provides grant worth 60 million lei — via July 2013 ETCA — for provision of customs inspection equipment to Leușeni-Albița border crossing point (Linked to Record ID#66302, #66532)

Project narrative

On July 10, 2013, the Chinese Government and the Government of Moldova signed an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which committed RMB 50 million of grant funding to be allocated by the parties at a later date (captured in Record ID#66532). The funding was to be provided through a bank account that China Development Bank would establish with the Bank of Economy of the Government of Moldova. This grant agreement was then ‘approved’ by the Moldovan Government on August 23, 2013 (via Government Decision no. 641). The Chinese Government subsequently approved a grant worth 60 million lei in 2014 for the acquisition of customs inspection equipment and the installation of the equipment at the Leușeni-Albița border crossing point. According to the Moldovan Customs Service, the implementation of the project was expected to reduce the amount of time that it takes to inspect a truck three times (such that inspection does not exceed 2-3 minutes). Nuctech Company Limited was the contractor responsible for project implementation. It signed an implementation contract with the Government of Moldova in July 2014. A project handover ceremony took place on September 10, 2015, and it was attended by Chinese and Moldovan government officials. The Government of Moldova also drew upon the grant proceeds from the July 2013 ETCA to install similar equipment at the Chișinău International Airport and the Ocnița-Sokireanî Railway Station/Border Crossing in 2017 and 2018 (see Record ID#66302).