Unfair competition in mass media

There is unfair competition on the mass media market, between the local publications and those from abroad, which don’t pay taxes or VAT, according to the Independent Press Association (API). According to API director Petru Macovei, there are several problems, of both political and economic nature, that prevent local press from developing, Info-Prim Neo reports. Speaking at a roundtable meeting on the prospects of the Moldovan press, Petru Macovei said foreign publishers engage in unfair competition by entering the market with a semi-legal status and taking away the advertising from the Moldovan newspapers and magazines. This issue needs to be regulated, said Macovei, as unfair competition affects the economic capacity of local publishers. MP Chiril Lucinschi, head of the Parliament's Commission on Culture and Media, agreed that there is need for a new regulation mechanism, observing that, unlike local media organizations, the foreign ones pay no VAT in Moldova. Ion Bunduchi, director of the Electronic Press Association (APEL), remarked that there is no educational institution or authority in Moldova to teach journalists market management in the media. He also said that the quality of our journalism is less than desirable, and part our journalists do as they think best. “Unfortunately, the local press is disadvantaged even in the news-stands, being placed in the lower side of the display-case, with the foreign press in the upper side”, remarked Corina Fusu, deputy head of the Commission. She added that the current Broadcasting Code was good enough back when it was created, but if the government seeks European integration, the Code needs to be upgraded to a European standard as well. The roundtable meeting titled “Prospects of the Moldovan independent press” was held to mark the 15th anniversary of the Independent Press Association.