Two months have passed since the end of the fair organized by Mayor Robert Negoitz at Hala Laminor, but we still do not know how much it cost, although it is about spending public money. We were initially told that the cost would be communicated to us at the end of the event. When we returned in January, representatives of the Sector 3 City Hall told us that they did not have centralized data. The company Algorithm Construcții S3, which organized the fair, informed us that only the workshops, performances, mobile stage and interior equipment cost about two million lei, and for the rest of the costs we have to contact the city hall and the private company – Laminor Arena.

“Following your request, formulated on the basis of Law 544/2001 on free access to information of public interest, and registered in the City Hall of District 3 under no. 21.117/22.01.2024, we bring to your attention that the institution does not have information on the total cost of expenses incurred for the organization of the Christmas Fair in Hala-Laminor,” says the response sent by the City Hall of District 3 on February 20. , 2024.

I sent the same request to the company that manages Hala Laminor and organized the fair – Algorithm Construcții S3.

We were told that they only have some of the data.

“The organization of this fair was the result of the joint efforts of several entities: concerts organized by the departments subordinate to the City Hall of Sector 3 and Laminor Arena, the organization of workshops for children and performances, the presence of Santa Claus and his helpers in partnership with UNATC, decorating the Laminor Hall on a Christmas theme. Regarding the costs incurred by the departments under the Bucharest Sector 3 City Hall, please contact the Sector 3 City Hall. The costs that Laminor Arena had to organize the concerts belong to them, therefore Laminor Arena is the company authorized to respond to you,” said the response sent by the company.

As for the expenses paid by them, they amount to about two million lei.

“Workshops and performances, a mobile stage with light and sound, a technical team throughout the fair, and the presence of Santa Claus were created in cooperation with UNATC based on cooperative agreements, according to the application. The costs incurred by ACS3 for the implementation of the partnership amounted to 916,720 lei excluding VAT. The costs related to decorating the hall with a Christmas theme amounted to 875,890.57 lei without VAT,” the answer reads.

In December 2023, the City Hall of Sector 3 replied to us that our request was sent to the company that organizes the fair – Algorithm Constructii S3.

SC Algorithm Construcții S3 replied that he does not know how much it costs to organize the fair, the figure can only be communicated at the end, but also the fact that certain information cannot be communicated. It is interesting, given that the budget approved by the city council has been allocated for such events from the beginning. Since we are talking about public money, the costs cannot be without number.

“The S3 Construction Algorithm company has published a list of non-transferable information on the company’s website. Thus, according to point d) of the “List of information excluded from the notification”, we can provide you with the following answers: (…) The organization of this fair was a joint activity of several organizations: concerts organized by departments subordinate to the City Hall of Sector 3 and Laminor Arena, organizing workshops for children and performances, the presence of Santa Claus and his helpers in partnership with UNATC. The final costs for the organization of Laminor Winter Wonderland will be calculated after the end of the event,” said the answer sent by the Algorithm Construcții S3 Society to HotNews.ro’s request in December 2023.

Laminor Arena is a private company. The City Hall of Sector 3, through one of its companies, Algorithm Residential S3 SRL, leased part of Laminor Hall to Laminor Arena SRL in 2022 for 5 years. In the first two years, the company is not obliged to pay rent, but it must make an investment of about two million euros, then the rent will be 264,000 lei/month without VAT, corresponding to 4.5 euros/sq.m/month.

SC Laminor Arena SRL was founded in November 2021. According to the company verification platform confidas.ro, the company has two shareholders: Pelmus Rezvan Alexandru (80%) and Varzan Mihai. Rezvan Alexandru Pelmus is also a shareholder of the Saga Festival company, which organized the festival of the same name at the National Arena.

It is not clear how the company was involved in the organization of the Christmas Fair and what contractual relationship exists between it, Algorithm Constructions S3 and the City Hall of Sector 3 regarding the organization of free concerts for fair participants.