How did the current year start for MOLDCELL, especially due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Undoubtedly, the pandemic was totally unexpected for everyone. All Moldcell stores were closed, so we had to focus entirely on online environment to offer the population one of the vital necessities – communication with people close to us, especially when everyone was locked at home. I am proud to say that we have managed to meet all the expectations, and our MyMoldcell online application and Moldcell e-shop with delivery options have become the tools our customers were interacting with during the months of isolation.
We have adopted the schedule for working at home for all the staff who could cope with their tasks at home; this principle is still preserved for most functions.
Moldcell pays great attention to hygiene and complies with all the healthcare and prevention precautions to protect our staff working in public places, because safety of our colleagues and their families is our utmost priority.
All the employees have kept their jobs and salaries. This is our duty as a responsible employer.
Has this global crisis generated any opportunities for MOLDCELL?
As I have mentioned earlier, we represent a service business, and its success depends on the available income of the population, yet this crisis continues to have its negative impact on it.
The greatest opportunity generated by this pandemic is certainly shifting online and digitizing all the processes. This is our future and a fundamental condition for any business to be able to survive in case of a pandemic. There are other opportunities, such as mobile healthcare, studies, and entertainment. The world keeps changing; let us see how we all develop.
How has MOLDCELL been involved in the global struggle against this pandemic in the Republic of Moldova?
I feel very contented about our social responsibility. I have chosen the word “contented” here instead of “proud”, because pride is not the feeling we are supposed to have when we help someone: such things are to be done in silence. I just thought it was amazing to watch the whole community unite during this pandemic.
We are a part of this country, and we have acted as a responsible citizen who loves the country.
Doctors are our true heroes! From the first day of the quarantine until now, we have been offering free hot lunches to the healthcare staff, free minutes and Internet traffic for doctors so that they could communicate with those close to them, free minutes and Internet traffic for teachers and children for online studies, and free Internet for Moldcell subscribers in the month of isolation. We also provided 5000 protective suits for doctors and medical staff combating the virus. We offered free data traffic for the pads installed in intensive care units, so that patients could talk to those close to them, and 10 sets of pulmonary ventilation equipment for 4 hospitals in Moldova.
However, what support from the state would be welcome?
The state could support us, for example, by stabilizing taxes in the national currency. I mean taxes for mobile phone portability, frequency charges, and interconnection tariffs. That would help us optimize our costs and have a better planning and management of our business.
As to our personal concerns, health and well-being for all of us and our families is my greatest wish. We need optimism, care, support, and help. Professionally, I hope that the opportunities this crisis brings are greater than the problems it generates.
BRIEF INVESTMENT DATA:
During the 20 years of activity of Moldcell Company in the Republic of Moldova, we have managed to become the choice of approximately half of Moldovans. From the very start of our activity here, we have stated that people in Moldova deserve to enjoy everything telecommunications can offer them, and it is the mission of Moldcell to offer such services. All the new technologies, 2G, 3G, 4G, high speed Internet, the best offers for devices and phones, and attractive tariff plans and services have become available in Moldova.
The total investment value for these years reaches 5.2 billion lei, and the taxes paid amount to 2.2 billion lei.
I can confidently say that Moldcell is a model of everything referred to as Business Ethics, Business Compliance, or Responsible Business in Moldova. Our company’s processes and standards are based upon zero tolerance for corruption, conflicts of interest, legal salaries, transparency, sponsorships, correct conduct, etc.; they are an absolute necessity and serve as a way of life and work within Moldcell and its ecosystem of partners. Our agreements with third parties also include all of these clauses. We are proud to educate Moldovan society making business more responsible. It all starts with our own selves. If we are eager to live in a better country, we have to start from ourselves to become better. I feel especially proud to do that.
The series of interviews "Foreign investors vs. COVID-19" are part of the gratitude campaign addressed to all foreign investors in the Republic of Moldova who during the pandemic demonstrated a high sense of social responsibility, an example model of employee care and proactivity in reconceptualizing the business . Campaign launched by The Moldovan Investment Agency with the support of the ‘Economic Policy Advice to the Moldovan Government’ project, implemented by GIZ Moldova with the financial support of the German and Swiss Governments.