The Albița, Sculeni, and Giurgiulești border customs offices in Romania and the Leușeni, Sculeni, and Giurgiulesti customs offices on the territory of the Republic of Moldova are being rehabilitated and modernized under a EUR 10 million cross-border infrastructure project co-financed by the European Union.

The Romanian Customs Authority (as the lead beneficiary) implements the project in partnership with the Customs Service of Moldova.

"This project is of strategic importance for the development of the border area between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, and its implementation not only optimizes customs control in the targeted border offices but also highlights the close cooperation between the two customs authorities," said the president of the Romanian Customs Authority, Ion Cupă.

On the Romanian side, the project targeted the thermal rehabilitation of buildings, the restoration of the water and sewage network, the modernization and expansion of the road infrastructure and control network, and the provision of specialized customs control equipment and surveillance systems.

Under the same investment, the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova trained 20 employees in using non-destructive customs control technology.

Of the project's total value of EUR 10 million, EUR 6.42 million was covered by the grant, and the rest came from the governments of the two partner states. The total budget related to the Romanian beneficiaries of the project is EUR 5 million, of which the Romanian government's own contribution represents EUR 1.78 million.

According to the Romanian Customs Authority, the 36-month initial deadline for implementing the project, between June 2019 and June 2022, has been extended until the end of 2023 due to delays caused by the pandemic and the armed conflict in Ukraine.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: the Romanian Customs Authority)