The executive director of the Independent Press Association (API) Petru Macovei said most of the periodicals in Moldova found themselves in a critical situation after the price of newspaper paper increased by up to 25%. The API requests to immediately adopt legislative measures to support the development of the press of social importance.
In a news conference at IPN, Petru Macovei said that based on the model of the European countries, the API is designing a bill that will envision the creation of a fund for supporting periodicals of social impotence in Moldova. “Our print media is regrettably in a very bad state, I would say a pre-coma state as the pressure exerted on the editorial offices of periodicals, newspapers and, in particular, journals, is extraordinary,” he noted.
According to Petru Macovei, several weeks ago the prices of newspaper paper were raised by up to 25%. “This means that a lot of editorial offices will reach a pre-bankruptcy state, especially the newspapers that do not enjoy support from political or economic groups and try to offer the citizens information at national and local levels,” stated the API director.
Petru Macovei noted that the situation is further worsened by the print media distribution tariffs that remain exaggerated, even if they weren’t increased during the last few years owing to the intervention of the API. The press will not resist an eventual rise in tariffs given that the purchasing power of the people in Moldova is very low. In communities, there are practically no kiosks selling newspapers. This refers to the capital city too. The kiosks disappeared for good from Stefan cel Mare si Sfant Blvd even if the local authorities promised these would be restored.
The API director called on the political decision makers to realize that the provision of subsidies for what are considered private businesses is not a whim. “It’s true that these are private businesses, but a periodical or a media outlet in the Republic of Moldova is not as other kinds of businesses. A specific approach should be adopted here,” stated Petru Macovei.
Many of the European states have a half-century-old mechanisms for supporting the press and this is confirmed by a study carried out by the media expert Aneta Gonta for the API. The expert noted that the governments of the European countries applied a series of press subsidization models, such as preferential VAT rates, preferential tariffs for postal and railway distribution services and favorable telecommunications tariffs. Other measures included tax reductions for investments and different types of tax concessions. Some of the states subsidized the price of newspaper paper, which is a significant production cost. Currently, only two EU member states do not provide VAT exemptions for the press – Bulgaria and Slovakia. France, which has a system of direct subsidies for the press, also applies the lowest VAT in this sector in the EU, of 2.1%.
As regards the Republic of Moldova, after almost three decades of independence, the country does not yet have a system for subsiding the press and no viable, continuous and efficient policies in the field. In such conditions, Moldova should invent nothing, but try and learn from the practices of other states whose governments in time applied a number of press subsidization methods, some of which continue to be valid, while others modify together with the technological and communicational changes.
