The PAS group on the Chisinau Municipal Council accuses the mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban of “clearing” the city of advertising billboards in favor of the company “Epamedia”. According to the PAS councilors, the company holds a monopoly on the adverting market and has debts of millions of lei in the municipal budget, but continues to place ads on the streets of Chisinau, being protected by the mayor. In reply, Ion Ceban said the billboards will continue to be taken away, IPN reports.

Councilor Roman Cojuhari told a news conference that “Epamedia”, which has a contract for the reconstruction of public transport stations signed with the Chisinau City Hall, was authorized to place 580 billboards. Moreover, “Epamedia” was taken over by “Moldpresa Grup”, which is owned by a person close to the Party of Socialists and Ion Ceban. The draft new regulations concerning street advertising in the municipality of Chisinau ban the setting up of billboards on the main arteries, but allow advertisements to be placed in stations. “Epamedia” owns over 300 stations.

Councilor Zinaida Popa noted that Ion Ceban and his inferiors continue to make orders and prescriptions for the removal of advertising billboards so as to free places for the 1,580 billboards that are to be placed under the contract with “Epamedia”. Ion Ceban intends to extend the contract that expires in January 2022 for at least five more years.

The PAS councilors demanded that the mayor general and the deputy mayor in charge of the area should annul the illegal documents allowing to take away the billboards set up in accordance with the existing regulations by tomorrow evening or they will ask the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the actions of the mayor and his inferiors as abuse of power.

As a result of these statements, Mayor Ion Ceban reacted, saying the regulations on advertising stipulates clear rules. More than 1,400 billboards have been removed so far and the city now looks much better. He assured that these places will not be allotted to “Epamedia” or to other companies to enable them to monopolize the adverting market.