Ministry of Culture and Tourism solicits money from businessmen for trips abroad

The leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) intends to take part, in November 2006, in the international tourism exhibition of London, Great Britain, but, due to lack of money, decided to collect financial resources from businessmen of the tourism industry. In the letter addressed to businessmen of the branch, signed by deputy minister Tatiana Lapicus, it is mentioned that one of the priority objectives of MCT is „promoting RM on international level as cultural and tourist destination, and in order to achieve this goal and to increase the tourists inflow to Moldova”, the ministry’s management decided to attend, together with other 20,000 travel companies from 200 countries, the exhibition of London. At the same time, it is underscored in the latter, „the participation for the first time of RM in one of the most prestigious exhibition in the field needs rather important expenses”, and thus, MCT leadership „requires respectfully their assistance in order to participate financially to this event”. At the end of the letter the MCT management mentions the bank account of the Special Fund for Promoting and Developing Tourism and the beneficiary bank - subsidiary nr.1 Chisinau of Banca de Economii. The representative of a travel company stated that those who would refuse to finance the abroad trips of MCT management risk to be often visited by inspectors, and to be subsequently fined. The jurist Ion Manole, Promo-Lex Association, noted that the action practiced by MCT management is not illegal, but possible sanctions of businessmen refusing to pay required contributions are rather serious violations. The jurist mentions that it will be difficult to prove the connection between the excessive controls and the refuse to finance officials’ trips, and if this thing is confirmed, the sentence will be drastic. The chairman of the National Association of Travel Companies, Nicolae Platon, announced that he supports the action of collecting resources, mentioning that he is one of the initiators. According to Platon, RM has to take part in the international tourism exhibitions, especially from Moscow, Berlin, London etc. The participation fee is very expensive, therefore it was decided to involve businessmen, and as result they are given the opportunity to pay voluntary an amount and to participate in the stand, and to conclude agreements, Platon underlined. Platon also announced that 4 hotels, 6 travel companies and 2 wine enterprises confirmed their participation and transferred the money. Participants’ selection will be made until 8 August, the deadline for presenting the offer for renting 24 square meters of area at the exhibition, as well as for preparing the document for the trip to London. The chairman of the Employers’ Confederation, Leonid Cerescu, disapproved MTC action regarding the businessmen, considering it as „out of order”. At her turn, the head of License House of RM, Zinaida Chistruga, mentioned that art.10 of the Law on Tourism stipulates the existence of the Fund for Promoting and developing of this field, fund where the businessmen of the branch transfer, annually, certain amounts. These amounts are directed to development of the tourism and not to pay for officials’ trips, Chistruga underlined. At the same time, she said that businessmen who will not contribute financially to the trip of MCT management to the exhibition of London are not going to be persecuted somehow. At the moment, 231 businessmen, working in the tourism sphere, are registered in Moldova.