Moldovan parliament approves report by inquiry commission on lawfulness of Chisinau International Airport's concession

Chisinau, 9 December /MOLDPRES/ - The parliament approved the report of the inquiry commission on the concession of the Chisinau International Airport (AIC) on 7 December evening.

A member of the aforementioned commission, MP Anatol Zagorodnii unveiled the report in the parliament’s plenum. According to Zagorodnii, the strategic object was given in concession fairly. “The present concessionaire made investments and constructions at the Chisinau International Airport; therefore, there are no circumstances to cancel the contract,” Zagorodnii stressed.    

After more amendments had been proposed, the lawmakers approved the commission’s report.  

The head of the inquiry commission, MP of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), Iurie Tap, has earlier presented an alternative report on giving AIC in concession. Tap noted that the procedure of taking decisions on the concession of the object had been vitiated and the clauses of the contract signed three years ago did not fit the legislation in force, as well as the interests of the state. “We demand that the government renegotiates the contract on concession, as well as cancels the tax on modernization, levied to be paid by the citizens,” Iurie Tap has early said.    

On 30 May 2013, the government ruled to put to concession the assets managed by the State Enterprise Chisinau International Airport and the land adjacent to the latter. The winner of the tender became a Russian company, Avia Invest Ltd.   

Thus, the assets of the Airport and the land adjacent to the enterprise were given in concession for a period of up to 49 years. Avia Invest is to invest at least 230 million euros in AIC.  

At the same time, the holder of the right to property remains the state Republic of Moldova, while the income and profit brought by the use of the assets given in concession belong to the firm from Russia.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor A. Raileanu)