Chisinau City Hall Seeks Amicable Solution with EPAMEDIA. New Proposal Reviewed by the Central Municipal Council (CMC)

Chisinau City Hall announces that it has been seeking an amicable solution with EPAMEDIA since 2021. The company manages public transport waiting stations in the capital.

According to Mayor Ion Ceban’s advisor, Vladimir Mitru, the local administration proposed that the Chisinau Municipal Council approve a transaction through which EPAMEDIA would receive 75 locations for kiosks to sell public transport passes without commission, in exchange for dropping all financial claims. The administration presented this proposal twice, but the Council failed to approve it, IPN reports.

During a press conference, Mitru said that EPAMEDIA is ready to accept the agreement, provided the Council approves it.

Although the contract with EPAMEDIA expired in 2022, City Hall chose not to take over the stations, aiming to avoid escalating tensions or triggering arbitration. As a result, the company continues to manage and maintain the infrastructure at no cost to the municipality.

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The issue resurfaced after the company sent an official letter on April 16, 2024, requesting the appointment of an arbitrator by April 22 and warning that, if not, it would seek an appointment by default. Nevertheless, EPAMEDIA reiterated its willingness to continue negotiations.

In response to accusations from some councilors regarding a lack of transparency and limited access to documents, City Hall stated that it provided all relevant materials to the working group members. Officials also emphasized that the municipality holds the key contractual documents, even though some correspondence from 2007 to 2019 is incomplete.

City Hall representatives reminded the public that in previous court cases, when authorities denied advertising permits, the courts, including the Supreme Court of Justice, ruled in favor of the local administration.

The next step will take place on May 15, when the Chisinau Municipal Council will review a new draft decision to appoint representatives for negotiating a peaceful agreement. The city executive claims it is fully prepared with all necessary arguments to avoid a costly legal dispute.

The contract, signed on January 19, 2007, granted EPAMEDIA the right to install 1,580 advertising panels and 600 city lights, including at each bus stop, over ten years, in exchange for building 300 public transport stations at the company’s expense.