Infoconstruct Company, known under the brand name The Construction Exchange, notifies the public opinion that primary and secondary level local public authorities repeatedly refused to provide information of public interest regarding construction authorizations, the entrepreneurs who raise buildings funded from the public budget, etc. Company manager Alexandru Digolean told IPN that there are some town halls that categorically refuse to provide an answer and return the official requests, claiming a lack of time.
One of Digolean's examples is that of Poganesti town hall in Hancesti district, which has a project for repairing local roads, funded from the public budget, and which refused to present information about the entrepreneur that will perform the work, despite an official request sent to the local authority address. A similar situation is at the Ungheni District Hospital.
“The Ungheni District Council allotted funds from the public budget for the overhaul of the institution, but both the councilors and the manager of the hospital declined to talk to our representatives. In this case as well, public authorities refused to tell us who will carry out the works paid for with public money. Even the capital construction division of the Chisinau City Hall, despite an official letter requesting information about several buildings under construction or under repair, withheld this information”, said Alexandru Digolean.
According to him, the town halls of Cimislia, Ceadir-Lunga, Causeni, Nispoteni, Comrat and Glodeni similarly ignored the information requests from the Construction Exchange even after the 30 days legal deadline. Meanwhile, the town halls of Orhei, Cahul, Ocnita, Ungheni and Balti, withheld the information and even returned the request letters. He says that these town halls refused to provide info about construction authorizations, which should be made public, according to the law.
“They declined to provide information, we referred to the law and they sent us a message that they don't want to give us such information. In the latter cases, when we called them, they said they don't provide such info to LLCs because a lack of time. They have small wages and have no time to spare to send information about the issued construction authorizations by fax or e-mail”, said Alexandru Digolean.
The Infoconstruct manager explained that in most cases when his company requests info about entrepreneurs that will carry out construction works funded with public money, local authorities refer to the Law concerning personal data and claim that the entrepreneurs' data are confidential and so dismiss the info requests. “However, it's also the law that says information of public interest, such as urbanism certificates and constructions authorizations, must be made public”, said Digolean. He hasn't went to court yet because the trials usually take too long.
In his opinion, public local authorities withhold information because of hidden interests and he intends to go to the administrative court should his requests be rejected again.
The Construction Exchange is a company specialized in collecting and providing information about constructions: the carried out works and construction deadlines, the addresses of sites, the companies and subcontractors, their addresses, phone numbers and contact persons.
