After having invested and worked for about 25 years, traders of the Flower Market “Sofia” situated in Botanica district of Chisinau says they risk remaining without a job. Mainly pensioners and persons with a disability degree, they said the local authorities aim to remove their kiosks at any cost and invent all kinds of pretexts. The Botanica district head’s office abusively resorts to kiosk demolition even if the relevant prescription was challenged in court.
In a news conference hosted by IPN, trader Stela Chitoroga said that initially they were based at the intersection of the streets Cuza Vodă and Independenței, but they were later relocated and another business entity that was favored took their place. The district head’s office suggested that they should associate themselves with that entrepreneur, but they refuse to serve bosses and want to work independently.
“His wife works as a judge at the Appeals Court, while my husband is a pensioner aged almost 80 and stays at home. I’m a pensioner too. Give me a pension of 15,000 lei and I will stay at home and will not cause problems to anyone. I cannot manage on 2,500 lei. Who will pay my utility bills and the food? My husband underwent heart surgery. The medicines I buy for him cost 2,500 lei. If you want to remove us, go with vehicles over us. We will not leave,” said the woman.
Trader Magdalena Perchik said that she has worked at “Sofia” Market for 25 years. They created their jobs themselves and invested a lot of money in the business. “Most of us are pensioners, invalids. Where shall we go? They could offer other jobs to us, but who would accept us? Shall we go abroad? What money shall we live on? We have paltry pensions and they want now to take our kiosks away,” complained the woman.
Trader Aurel Botea noted that they made approaches to the local authorities and it seemed to them that they were understood, but they now see the intentions to demolish their kiosks. They initially worked based on patent. The patents were then banned and they complied and founded individual enterprises so as to be able to work legally. But they are not allowed to work. Now they are told that the kiosks are situated on networks. “Even if there were accidents, as we had agreed with the water supplier and as it is stipulated in the contract, we took away the kiosks for the period of the repair works at our own expense. No problems were encountered,” stated Aurel Botea. He called on the local authorities to change their attitude to the people who elected them and to support them.
The lawyer for the traders Oxana Eșanu said the local authorities intend to remove the kiosks from the Flower Market “Sofia” even if the lawsuit filed against the district head’s office hasn’t been resolved yet. This is abusive behavior. “These ten traders pay taxes intro the state budget and their rights as citizens and as taxpayers should be respected. This is an abuse on the part of the authorities. As long as there are ongoing proceedings, that challenged order and prescription cannot be executed until the court pronounces on the legality of these documents,” stated the lawyer.
The conference forms part of the series of conferences held as part of IPN News Agency’s project “Support for the justice sector reform by covering high-profile cases of alleged injustice in multimedia format”. The Agency does not bear responsibility for the public statements made in the public sphere by the organizers of news conferences. IPN gives 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.
