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The managers of periodicals claim they face significant difficulties in their relations with “Posta Moldovei”, such as inflexible contractual provisions regarding the distribution of periodicals; delayed transfer to outlets of money paid by subscribers; additional unjustified charges for packaging at every post center (15 bani per a newspaper copy); deficiencies in the work of post officials and nontransparent reorganization of work at district post centers belonging to “Posta Moldovei” SE.
Following this address, as instructed by the Government, on March 15 the MITC held a meeting with representatives of “Posta Moldovei”, ANRCETI and publishers. The address was also reviewed at the meeting of the Competition Council on March 20.
At these meetings, representatives of the media called for establishment of mutually beneficial partnership between their outlets and the national press distributor.
The AIP Executive Director Petru Macovei noted that publishers and “Posta Moldovei” do not negotiate the contracts. According to him “the quality of the services provided by “Posta Moldovei” is really bad, and publishers find its service policy discriminatory.”
Contacted by Media Azi, some newspaper representatives described collaboration with “Posta Moldovei” and their outlets as “disastrous”. “Outlets are forced to sign a newspaper/magazine distribution and sales contract with no possibility to negotiate. In the absence of other national press distributors, publishers are in a position to accept the terms of “Posta Moldovei”, which favor only one party,” said Lilia Curchi, coordinating editor of the Natura magazine. Another matter that has been unsolved for decades, according to Lilia Curchi, is that ““Posta Moldovei” transfers to media outlets the money collected for subscription with a 3 to 4 months delay.” Recently, they received an annex to the contract, demanding additional payment of MDL 0.15 per a newspaper copy for sorting and packaging, which they were suggested to sign.
Lucia Bacalu, the director of the regional daily newspaper “Expresul”, shares this complaint. “It is at least my conclusion that “Posta Moldovei” does everything possible to have no print media in Moldova, because there are problems both with subscription and distribution. Another issue is that this institution wants to draw as much money from newspapers as it can. Negotiation is impossible, and as long as “Posta Moldovei” holds monopoly, you practically depend on it and there is nothing you can do about it.”
On March 23, the AIP received a reply from the MITC, signed by Deputy Minister Vitalie Tarlev, where publishers’ requests and objections were rejected. Referring to the charges for packaging and sorting, the MITC noted that “... the AIP’s allegation that the company forces publishers to pay a fee for packaging and sorting periodicals at post centers is clearly unfounded. In this sense, we insist that outlets have the option either to present newspapers to the post centers already packed and sorted or to pay for these additional services.”
On March 28, the AIP received the answer from the Competition Council, stating that according to the law on postal communications, the regulator in this field is ANRCETI.
Asked by Media Azi about his opinion on now to solve the periodicals’ problems with “Posta Moldovei”, the AIP Executive Director Petru Macovei said: “We have started a paper fight, if you will, because the response we received from the MITC appears to us superficial, and we will also address the Government, asking it to intervene and convince “Posta Moldovei” to have a civilized cooperation with publishers.”
