Patent holders made a call to embassies and international organizations working in Moldova, primarily the Embassies of the EU and the U.S. They call on the development partners to thoroughly examine how the Moldovan authorities use the provided grants as they consider that the state does nothing but impoverishes the small and medium-sized entrepreneurs with taxes and now also with fines so as to supplement the budget.
In a news conference hosted by IPN, local and town councilor Olga Chapki, a patent holder, said that trade based on patent was banned on July 1 and since then they have worked illegally. “I feel pity for the older persons who work in the market in such condition, but I also do not want to pay contributions into that Social Fund because the country is fully depopulated. There is no one after us who would ensure pensions,” stated the councilor.
“For us, the patent was a source for surviving, not for enriching ourselves. They want to establish a monopoly by imposing cash registers. As we are forced to work with cash registers, we simply destroy ourselves. It’s a pity as the small businesses in any other country are the backbone of the economy. In our country, they suffocate and destroy us in favor of large businesses, in favor of monopoly,” noted patent holder Eleonora Țurcanu-Herghelegiu.
Ruslan Verbitski, the representative of patent holders, said the patent is not a privilege or a luxury. For most of the holders, the patent is the only source of livelihood. If the authorities had had common sense and responsibility, they would have offered something instead before stripping the people of this source. “The government of good times will go down in the Republic of Moldova’s history as a government of disaster and destruction, a government of the state of emergency and of corruption, a government of the highest prices and inflation rates. The PAS says they go to the European Union, but they go to the EU with Bolshevik instruments, with the limitation of freedom, with decisions taken under the table, without consulting society,” he stated.
Patent holder Mirza Amrahov said that all the arguments in favor of keeping trade based on patent were presented, but this type of trade was banned on July 1. The authorities invited them to discussions, listened to them, but didn’t hear them. The people will simply leave the country, as they did in time. In 2017, there were about 20,000 patent holders. Today the figure stands at about 4,000.
Note: IPN News Agency offers the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements of the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.
