The dismantling of a large number of billboards in Chisinau is nothing but a raider attack on the outdoor advertising market, consider members of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Moldova. According to these, the goal of the mayor general of Chisinau’s intention to dismantle the billboards in Chisinau is to eliminate the top companies from the market. In a news conference at IPN, the Association’s deputy head Victoria Barba said the created situation is alarming and the intention of Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca to have the billboards in Chisinau removed can have negative consequences both for advertising agencies and for the municipality.

Victoria Barba referred to the decision made public by the mayor of Chisinau on February 8. This asked that the billboards located on the boulevards Dacia and Calea Orheiului – near the rotaries and by the roadway – should be taken away. The Association’s deputy head said she will request the Chisinau Municipal Council to verify the legality of all the orders and intentions of the mayor.

“In the created situation, a raider attack is taking shape. This is aimed particularly at top adverting companies that founded the market in the municipality of Chisinau and that invested large sums of money in billboards, created jobs and pay taxes into the budget,” stated Victoria Barba.

According to her, a recent journalistic investigation reveals the real intentions of Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, who aims to favor particular companies that are close to his family. “The given investigation says who namely pursues goals in the outdoor advertising sector of Chisinau municipality. These are business partners of the leader of the Liberal Party. These persons have an interest in this market because this is the only non-politicized market,” said Victoria Barba.

In another development, she stated that the outdoor advertising companies are mainly ready to cooperate with the authorities so as to reach a compromise. The members of the Association are ready to work out, together with the authorities, a new strategy concerning the use of billboards and to check all the existing boards.

Vice director of an advertising company Iurie Caluja said there is now no dialogue with the local public authorities and Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca. “The mayor general does not answer the open letters we send to him. Recently we received an answer with the request to indicate the names of the directors of all the 150 companies and their phone numbers. It’s not clear why he needs this,” he stated.

Earlier, the Association of Advertising Agencies of Moldova made a public call to the mayor general of Chisinau, whereby it warns that if the several hundreds of billboards are taken away as planned, this will lead to a significant decline in the amounts projected to be collected as taxes into the municipal budget from this sector.