Employees at a scrap metal-collecting company in Chisinau have been protesting for more than a month outside the Government, the Parliament and the state enterprise Metalferos, demanding the elimination of the monopoly on the exportation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from Moldova. Entrepreneur Valentin Esanu said during a press conference at IPN that his company had collected hundred of tonnes of scrap but was unable to sell it.

“Only state enterprise Metalferos can export scrap metal. We are on the verge of bankruptcy. They refuse to buy our metal. For more than a month, my business has been the target of several tax inspection and criminal proceedings have been started against me”, complained Esanu. According to him, the reason for the prosecution is the sale of a batch of scrap metal, old production equipment from the Tutun CTC tobacco factory, to a third company, which was found to use it for cigarette production.

“I was declared guilty for selling that equipment to a company that makes cigarettes. My activity was declared illegal and when I started protesting and talking about the monopoly on this market, legal proceedings were initiated against me. I was forced to close two scrap-collecting points on Uzinelor Street in Chisinau near another collecting point affiliated to Metalferos”, added Esanu.

The entrepreneur pleads for the liberalization of the market so that each company could export by itself the collected scrap. According to him, this would create conditions for attracting foreign investors and the scrap metal price would increase as a result. Esanu says that his company is supported by other entrepreneurs in the field, but they are afraid of protesting openly fearing pressures on their families and businesses.