MOLDOVAN GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS BAN ON SECONDHAND CLOTHES, FOOTWEAR

The Moldovan Cabinet of Ministers on 23 August lifted its ban on the import and sale of secondhand clothes and footwear, BASA reported on 24 August. Simultaneously, the government declared its intention to work out a "new mechanism" within three months to tackle the issue.

According to Economy and Trade Minister Valeriu Lazar, the ban approved by the cabinet on 25 July was "a simplistic measure" that envisaged a restriction without bearing in mind the social aspect of the problem. Lazar said last year Moldova imported 6,000 tons of used clothes and footwear. He added that many imported items of clothing and footwear are declared as secondhand so importers can avoid paying taxes. The government ban on secondhand clothes and footwear applied to their imports from September 2004 and sale from March 2005. Small vendors in Moldova threatened protests over the ban, claiming that it would leave an estimated 15,000 people jobless and deprive many poor Moldovans of the chance to buy cheap clothes. JM

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