Meat traders say they will protest till 2009 elections, if they have to

The meat vendors go on protesting in Chisinau and say they will not give up till the 2009 parliamentary elections, if they have to. Carrying posters and chanting: “Return patents!” “Voronin, get down to the people!” they repeatedly ask Monday to be allowed to work on the basis of patents. The protesters have claimed first deputy minister Igor Dodon lies when saying huge incomes are gained from selling meat, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The meat is bought from farms with 35-38 lei a kg, and not against 20-25 lei as Dodon says. We sell the meat at the market against 50-80 lei, not 120,” the traders show themselves indignant. The protesters explain the expensive meat by the last year drought. Lacking fodder, the farmers are have grown less animals. The veterinary expenditures, transporting and collecting the meat incur other expenditures, and all get mirrored in the market price. According to protesting meat merchants, by obliging them to open individual companies, the authorities want to extort money from them. The protesters complain the tax inspectors fined them groundlessly and misled them. In accordance with the new wording of the Law allowing to operate on the basis of a patent, only the meat producers are allowed to sell on the basis of patents. The meat traders started protesting on May 28, dissatisfied with being fined from 3,000 to 6,000 lei.