Mall fined 7 million lei for failing to set up smoking places

A mall in Chisinau will have to pay a 7 million lei fine for failing to obey a prescription of the National Agency for Protection of Competition. The announcement was made on Tuesday, June 28, at a press briefing, by the ANPC director, Viorica Carare. The fine was applied because the company didn’t set up special places for smoking, Info-Prim Neo reports. Viorica Carare said that the fine was 3% of mall’s income, obtained through the infringement of laws on protection of competition. “Similar directions have been issued to other malls in Chisinau. They have either conformed or, at least, have interdicted smoking until such special places are opened”. According to the Moldovan laws, from 2007, smoking is prohibited in public spaces, while smoking rooms shouldn’t allow polluted air to go in closed public spaces. During the same press briefing, the ANPC director announced that RED Union Fenosa was fined with 200,000 lei for breaking the law on protection of competition in the energy meters market. “The company was fined with 10% of the obtained income. It used its dominant position in order to set obstacles for other companies in the market of electricity meters. Thus, we can say the company created discriminatory conditions for its competitors in order to eliminate them from the market”, said Viorica Carare. The ANPC director said that the money obtained from these fines will be added to the state budget, according to the laws.