Pridnestrovie trades with 99 countries [0] and has what a European Union study calls "a very open economy" [0] with a high degree of trade with the EU and the US. In the last five years, the young democracy has experienced growth of 209.6% [0] and living standards [0] are up.

The country has its own Central Bank and its own freely convertible currency, [0] the PMR Ruble. Inflation [0] is under control and a managed round of privatizations with a human face [0] is bringing the right kind of growth to the country. Local companies [0] and foreign investment [0] benefit from a low flat tax [0] of just 15%, there is a vibrant media sector [0] of privately owned radio- and TV stations, and strong small business growth. [0] [ More ] [0]

Pridnestrovie has eight banks, [0] three of them foreign, all operating under the strict Wolfsberg [0] Anti Money Laundering principles. [0]That helps deter abuses in the financial system, as does the fact that Pridnestrovie has joined the WCO [0] (World Customs Organization) and streamlined the electronic control [0] of customs documents.

As the EU reports, Pridnestrovie "is relatively open economically [0] to the outside world". The state works to keep it that way, with a strong transport infrastructure [0] and local companies with ISO- [0] and Lloyds of London [0] certifications. In gas infrastructure, Pridnestrovie is the region's leader: The country doubled the extent [0] of its lines since independence in 1990. All of which helps explain why the young country has a higher growth and a better standard of living than its nearest neighbor in the region.

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CAPITALISM: [0] Market economy and free trade [0] 200%+ growth in five years is the result of reforms in Pridnestrovie. The country went from a state controlled Soviet system to freedom and a liberal market economy. And in the process, it created a couple of homegrown "Asian Tigers"...[more] [0] EXPORTS: [0] Open trade with EU, US [0] "A very open economy with a high degree of trade with the EU and the US." That's how a European Union report describes Pridnestrovie. The United States is the first customer of the country's steel. In total, it has trade relations with nearly 100 countries....[more] [0] RELATED SUBJECTS: Misconceptions and myths about Pridnestrovie's economy [0] Freedom in the new Europe [0] Statehood: Nation building achievements [0] Government and democratic institutions [0] People: Profiles and views [0]

READ MORE: Sheriff, Pridnestrovie's second-largest company [0] Sheriff Ltd is the number two company in Pridnestrovie (number one is a steel mill), and the most visible: It runs a chain of supermarkets, gas stations, owns a soccer club and just built a brand new stadium. Reinvesting its profits in its home country, the company is doing a lot of good. But it is also making itself some enemies in the process......[more] [0] Business growth and economic achievements: Gas infrastructure doubles in size [0] Taxation: Flat tax in Pridnestrovie [0] TV and Radio: freedom of speech? [0] Market-based economy grows 209.6% over 5 years [0] The right way to privatize: Putting people first [0] Lucent invests in Pridnestrovie [0] Economic success: High growth, low inflation [0] Customs uses technology to end smuggling [0] Strong banking sector controls on money-laundering [0] Pridnestrovian Railroads [0] Money: Pridnestrovie's own currency [0] Steel works, Rybnitsa [0] Industrialized transport infrastructure [0] New office buildings in Tiraspol [0] Free banking in Tiraspol [0] Small business growth [0]