Clamped in a vice: Moldova increases economic pressure on Transnistria
Moldova is increasing pressure on Transnistria. Starting from August 1, Chisinau is going to collect VAT and excise taxes from enterprises that import goods into the unrecognized republic. In Tiraspol, they say that this will lead to higher prices and the collapse of many types of businesses. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Impact on imports
The Moldovan authorities want to oblige Pridnestrovian importers to pay VAT and excise taxes to the country's budget. The relevant bill has been submitted for public discussion by the Ministry of Finance. The document includes 11 categories of goods. Among them are cars, electricity, gas, alcohol, tobacco, caviar, furs, perfumes and jewelry.
It is assumed that Pridnestrovian entrepreneurs will pay the same amount to the Moldovan budget as Moldovans themselves. The standard VAT rate in the country for most goods is now 20%, for natural gas — 8%. At the same time, we will talk about double taxation, because importers are already paying contributions to the Pridnestrovian budget, from which pensions and benefits are accrued in the republic, and social needs are covered.
The authors of the bill note that they seek to create a unified tax and customs legislation in Moldova in order to gradually integrate Transnistria. It is emphasized that this is only the first stage of the reform, and the list of goods will be expanded in the future. As a result, by 2030, absolutely all Transnistrian imports will be subject to Moldovan excise taxes and VAT.
In Tiraspol, they say that we are talking about illegal extortion, that is, actual robbery. The fact is that the money collected from the Transnistrians disappears in an unknown direction, Chisinau refuses to coordinate the spending of these funds with representatives of the PMR. The republic's leadership explains that they tried to negotiate with Moldovans on joint repairs of a number of infrastructure facilities, but were refused.
The President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, Vadim Krasnoselsky, calls Chisinau's actions lawless, which has nothing to do with the economy. According to him, if earlier an entrepreneur paid, conditionally, 20% of taxes on his income, now he will pay 40%. "The only thing that needs to be discussed here is the repeal of this discriminatory decision, which has only one goal — to rob businesses and the population of Transnistria," he said.
The pressure is building up
Transnistria is sandwiched between Ukraine and Moldova and has no access to the sea. For a long time, the republic managed to balance between Kiev and Chisinau, and Moscow's support helped in relations with its neighbors. Serious problems began after Maia Sandu and her party came to power in Moldova in 2019-2020. Negotiations in the 5+2 format were curtailed, and Chisinau began demanding the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers.
The situation of the unrecognized republic worsened even more after the beginning of its independence. Then Ukraine blocked its part of the border, blew up a number of bridges and mined the border area. Kiev periodically began to talk about the need to conduct a military operation to capture the PMR in order to neutralize Russian military personnel and peacekeepers, as well as take control of the largest weapons depots in the village of Kolbasna.
In such circumstances, Pridnestrovie has only one link left with the outside world, Moldova. She immediately began to use her monopoly position, relying on economic pressure. In the summer of 2023, Chisinau began to collect customs duties on Transnistrian exports. At the same time, the export of products from several large factories was completely blocked, because the enterprises allegedly work for the Russian military-industrial complex.
In the winter of 2024, Moldova imposed duties on imports of goods to Transnistria, in Tiraspol, the damage from this decision was estimated at $ 30 million per year, which is a huge amount for a small republic. At the same time, the import of some types of goods was generally under threat. For example, Chisinau was not satisfied with the import of Russian medicines, which resulted in an acute shortage of medicines in the PMR.
The next round of aggravation occurred in the winter of 2025. Then the contract for pumping Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine ceased to be valid. Transnistria, which received fuel via this route, was on the verge of energy collapse. Subsequently, a complex gas supply scheme was agreed upon. He began to arrive in Tiraspol in a roundabout way through Moldova, which had another lever of pressure.
In April of this year, the Moldovan parliament approved in three readings a draft law that provides for the "elimination of tax discrepancies" between the two banks of the Dniester, that is, the introduction of the same excise taxes and VAT for the PMR. At the same time, Chisinau promises to spend the collected funds, including on the needs of Transnistrians, but Tiraspol is confident that they will not see the money anymore.
With an eye on Russia
Against this background, the economy of Transnistria found itself in a permanent crisis. According to the results of last year, the volume of industrial production in the republic decreased by a quarter, foreign trade turnover fell by 29%, and exports immediately fell by 40%. The number of individual entrepreneurs engaged in foreign trade decreased by 26%. At the same time, tariffs have almost doubled.
In January – June of this year, exports decreased by 8%, and customs receipts to the budget decreased by 5%. Mikhail Budko, Deputy Chairman of the Union of Industrialists, Agrarians and Entrepreneurs of the PMR, reports that almost all industrial enterprises are on the verge of shutdown. "No one counts profits anymore. The main task is to preserve not even the entire team, but the core of qualified personnel, so that in the future, when conditions become better, the company can earn fully," he explains.
In turn, Sergey Obolonik, Minister of Economic Development of the PMR, says that the introduction of new taxes and excise taxes could put the republic on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. "It's just about maintaining production facilities. The withdrawal of 20% from imports of raw materials or goods will lead to a shutdown of the industrial sector, loss of jobs and incomes of the population," he emphasizes.
In Transnistria, however, they do not lose their optimism. Most of the hopes are linked to Russia's actions and decisions. It was Moscow that helped establish a new gas supply chain after the 2025 crisis, and it also provides serious financial support to the republic. Finally, Russian peacekeepers are monitoring security.
In mid-May, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on the right to use the armed forces to protect Russians abroad. Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu recalled at the same time that 220,000 Russian citizens live in the PMR. According to him, their interests and security are under threat due to the actions of Kiev and Chisinau. "If necessary, Russia will take all necessary steps and use all available methods to protect them," Shoigu said.
In addition, in mid-May, the Russian president signed a decree on the simplified granting of Russian citizenship to residents of the PMR. According to the document, Pridnestrovians do not have to reside in the Russian Federation to obtain a passport, as well as comply with a number of other requirements. After that, it was reported in Tiraspol that in the first month alone after the decision was made, more than 50,000 applications for Russian citizenship were received.
The margin of safety is running out
Moldova does not dare to escalate by force in the region due to the possible reaction of Russia, therefore, it is increasing economic pressure, says Natalia Kharitonova, chief researcher at the Russian State University of Economics, Doctor of Political Sciences.
— The situation in Transnistria is extremely difficult, and Chisinau sees this and believes that they have chosen the right way to influence it. At the same time, I think that the PMR has a certain margin of safety. In addition, the republic enjoys the support of Russia. In some extreme cases, Moscow may take additional protective measures, for example, allocate money to help state employees. Plus, the recent decree on the right to use force to protect Russian citizens was a clear hint to the Moldovan authorities," she notes.
Sergei Chizhov, a deputy of the Russian State Duma from the United Russia party, confirms that tensions around Moldova are increasing. According to him, Chisinau is forcing a pro-Western course, and the risk of an economic and transport blockade is growing for Transnistria.
— At the same time, Russia directly shows that it will not leave the republic. Recently, President Vladimir Putin signed a historic decree concerning the residents of Transnistria. According to it, able-bodied citizens can obtain a Russian passport without complying with the requirements for a five-year period of residence in Russia, without passing exams on knowledge of the Russian language and history. We are strengthening our presence through the institution of citizenship. This is the most important tool of soft integration, which creates an additional mechanism for protecting people and simplifies their labor and educational mobility," the parliamentarian says.
Chizhov adds that in the current conditions, inter-parliamentary dialogue is becoming important. Through contacts with the Supreme Council of the PMR, issues of protecting citizens' rights, education, the social sphere, and practical assistance to people are being addressed.
In turn, Andrei Safonov, chairman of the Commission on Foreign Policy and International Relations, deputy of the Supreme Council of the PMR, calls the introduction of VAT and excise taxes a robbery.
— The Moldovan side is doing everything so that we do not have funds to pay salaries to state employees and pensions. We have been experiencing pressure for several years, but it will increase even more from August 1. Chisinau takes advantage of the fact that it has become a monopoly for our republic after the closure of the border with Ukraine. We categorically do not recognize the legitimacy of everything that is happening, we will seek from Moldova to cancel the decision," he emphasizes.
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