Most of the agricultural and agrifood markets are monopolized by a cartel of intermediaries close to Vlad Plahotniuc, said the leader of the Party “Platform, Dignity and Truth” (PPPDA) Andrei Nastase. The politician told a news conference that owing to this the revenues of farmers are small, while the prices for consumers are high, IPN reports.

In this connection, Nastase requested to implement Law No. 257 on the functioning of agricultural and agrifood markets. This law that was adopted in 2006 envisions the creation of an intervention fund on the market, which would ameliorate the price fluctuations and would protect farmers and consumers.

PPPDA deputy chairman Alexandru Slusari explained how this fund will work. According to him, in 2017 the farmers sold the wheat for 2.20 lei/kg even if the real cost was of 2.30-2.40 lei/kg. The intervention fund would allow the state to purchase the wheat for 2.50 lei/kg so that the farmers do not suffer losses. Instead, during the years with drought and other tempests, when the price could rise to 3.50 lei/kg, the state could sell the wheat purchased during the previous years for 3 lei/kg.

Thus, the fund could finance itself and even bring revenues to the state. According to Slusari, this fund would also strike the cartel of intermediaries, in particular Trans-Oil that is managed by an associate of the Democratic leader Vlad Plahotniuc. This holds monopoly on some segments of the market and imposes very small prices so that the farmers have to sell their products at lower prices than the cost price.

Alexandru Slusari said that when he was chairman of the farmers’ association UniAgroProtect, he filed complaints to the Competition Council, but this took no action.

The representatives of the PPPDA accuse the state of stealing public money instead of protecting the people. They cite a report by the Court of Auditors, which identified irregularities in the management of public funds to the value of 20.8 billion lei. Andrei Nastase noted that the president of the Court of Auditors reported a figure of only 11 billion lei to Parliament and the Court’s members were later rewarded with pay rises.

The PPPDA urges its supporters and the supporters of other parties to study the party’s alternative government program that is accessible at www.platformada.md and is available also at the party’s head office at 15, 31 august 1989 St.