The cement plant in Ribnita has resumed operations, but only at night for now, announced Alexandr Slusari, a member of the board of directors at Energocom. Slusari also stated that he has video confirmation, with one of the recordings being sent to IPN.
The agency confirmed that the footage indeed shows the cement plant, although metadata analysis of the file did not provide exact results regarding the time and date of the recording. Alexandr Slusari told IPN that the video confirming the plant's activity was filmed on the morning of March 13, “under significant risks, as the plant is currently operating only at night”.
The expert claims that the Transnistrian industry is returning to a “gray economy” and that this plant “pollutes the atmosphere more than MMZ (the Rîbnița Metallurgical Plant), according to the former Minister of Environment”.
Alexandr Slusari warns that “Transnistria, with the help of Chisinau, is gradually returning to its traditional phase of a gray economy, with an industry operating at symbolic tariffs and undermining neighboring businesses, including those in Romania, through dumping”.
The spokesperson for the Government, Daniel Voda, recently stated that if the Metallurgical Plant resumes operations, it will be required to pay taxes to the budget of the Republic of Moldova. “If the reopening is confirmed, the Prime Minister and government officials have discussed imposing competition taxes to ensure that companies on both the left and right banks operate under fair competition conditions,” Daniel Voda explained.
Earlier this week, the steel rolling hall at the Metallurgical Plant in Ribnita also reopened after being shut down due to the energy crisis.
The Ribnita cement plant is one of the largest enterprises in the Transnistrian region, specializing in the production of Portland cement, which is used in the construction of roads, buildings, and various infrastructure projects.
