The markets in Chisinau are not attractive because they are insalubrious, and have a disorganized and unsightly appearance. These are the findings of a research carried out by Primăria Mea/My City Hall, “a community of citizens who want a comfortable, accessible and beautiful Chisinau.”
“The authorities point the finger at market administrations, faulting them for not complying with the Markets Regulation, while inspection agencies, which have the instruments necessary to verify the markets and impose restrictive measures, are involved in corruption or tend to be corrupt”, the community organization wrote on its website.
Primăria Mea says that people usually choose markets due to their convenient locations, negotiable prices and a large diversity of goods. At the same time, people are dissatisfied with the lack of organization and the unsightly appearance of the stalls and halls, the conditions for storing the food, the unauthorized street vending and the overcrowded vehicle traffic around markets. People complain that “vendors touch the merchandise and money, they eat, smoke, and everything happens without them washing their hands”, “products are kept unsafely”, or “it's a lot of clutter and it’s difficult to squeeze through the narrow passages between the stalls.”
Paulina Cernauțanu, the author of the research, says that, in order to make the markets in Chisinau attractive, it is necessary for local authorities, market managers and vendors to be in close and continuous communication, to eliminate doubling of jurisdiction, improve inspection, and to change the aesthetic aspect of the market stalls. For their part, citizens have to demand the observance of consumer rights. A general concept for markets is also required, and despite local authorities promising a feasibility study to make this happen, in five years no company has been hired to accomplish the task.
Chisinau has 38 markets, 17 of which are mixed, eight are for non-food goods, seven are for flowers, four for car and spare parts trading, and two markets are for pets.