The Government of Moldova signed the contract for Development, Implementation and International Promotion of the Citizenship By Investment Program (MCBI) with Henley and Partners and Moldovan Investment Company (MIC Holding LLC) on July 11, 2018.
The Moldova Economic Ministry said in a press release, The purpose of the Citizenship acquisition program is to strengthen the international perception and competitiveness of the Republic of Moldova in order to attract foreign investments direct in the areas of strategic development established by the Government.
“Now that the partner has been identified, we sign the contract with confidence that over the next 5 years the volume of investments will reach a cumulative value of 1.3 billion euros. Moldova needs to be very active in attracting investments” said Minister of Economy and Infrastructure, Chiril Gaburici, President of the Commission.
The Ministry further said: Henley & Partners is an independent professional services company specializing in citizenship-by-investment Programs and is considered as the world leader in this field. The company has 4 (four) Citizenship programs implemented, with government mandates from the following countries: Republic of Malta, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada. The Henley & Partners team of highly qualified specialists, with around 300 people, works together in over 30 offices around the world. The company created the concept of residence and citizenship planning in the 90’s of the last century. It also provides the highest quality consultancy services to governments across the world. As a result of his work, H&P collected more than $ 6 billion in foreign direct investment, actively engaging in strategic consultation, development, organization and deployment of global residence and citizenship implementation.
The legal and administrative implementation of the Citizenship by Investment Program will ensure the granting of citizenship only to program applicants who fully meet the best international standards of diligence.
In this regard, Henley & Partners provided a very rigorous verification system for the good economic and financial reputation of people who want to acquire citizenship of the Republic of Moldova by investing in four levels.
First Level Verifications will be performed by global diligence companies (eg Binder Dijker Otte (BDO), Risk Advisory Group or Thomson Reuters) and will focus on background checks and validation of the information contained in the application forms. The last level of verification will include the rigorous verification of applications to the Program through competent authorities of the Republic of Moldova such as: Interpol, SIS, MAI, CNA.
Marco Gantenbein, a member of Henley & Partners’ Global Executive Committee and a Managing Partner, explains: “It was clear to both MIC and ourselves that only a collaborative consortium encompassing the leading companies in each strategic area would be able to deliver a successful program to Moldova, with ‘success’ defined here as tangible benefits generated for the country and its people through the establishment and operation of a program with the highest standards of integrity and due diligence.”
Gantenbein says that the program is poised for success on account of its competitive pricing structure and strong value proposition. “Moldova, a country of 4 million inhabitants, offers its citizens visa-free access to 121 destinations, including all the countries in Europe’s Schengen Area but also, for example, Russia and Turkey. It has entered into an association agreement with the EU and is aiming to become a candidate country for EU membership,” explains Gantenbein.
“The MCBI program, which we expect to be launched within the next three months, offers both affordability and travel freedom to individuals and families and will have wide-ranging appeal for the rapidly growing investment migration client base worldwide. Crucially, however, the program promises to generate much-needed capital and international visibility for this beautiful country in Europe, which will improve the overall prospects and quality of life of its small but vibrant population.”
