Protests against suspending patent-based trade activities go on

Merchants from Causeni, Calarasi, Edinet, Stefan Voda and Ungheni protested on Thursday, May 17, in front of the Parliament, requesting to abrogate the Law no.208, which annuls a number of patent-based trade activities. A record low of about 30 persons, in contrast to other actions organised by the Small Business Organisation (SBO), participated in the protest meeting. “We protest against the law no.208 of December. We held four ample actions in the square of the National Opera House so far, including one alternative meeting on May 1. After hard struggles, we managed at last to get the authorisation to picket the Parliament. We didn’t mean to gather a big crowd. All that is important is to continue signalling the current problem”, SBO head Eugen Roscovan said. The protesters affirmed that the government’s scenario to replace marketplaces with shops is not only to the detriment of patentees, who lost their only source of revenue, but also to disadvantage of people who prefer to do their shopping at the marketplace to save money. The meting also served as an occasion to campaign for a candidate for Chisinau mayor. Eugen Roscovan stated that he sees nothing immoral in his actions, taking into account that the party he supports is the single one that showed loyalty to patentees. “There can be no economics without politics. The patent holders should have their own party, or at least a party that would back them. I did nothing than urged people to make a good choice. I did not promise them money, as other parties do. So, I don’t see why we should feel embarrassed”, Roscovan added. SBO was authorised to picket the Parliament on Friday too. According to the estimations of the organisation’s leader, nearly 100 persons are expected to participate in the protest. Under the Law no.208, the patent-based activity for carrying goods and passengers, selling flowers, producing and selling construction materials was annulled on January 1.