A petition to ban the privatisation of the Drohobych Saltworks and transfer it to the city’s balance sheet has been registered on the EDEM platform.
A community initiative was registered by a resident of Drohobych. The website started collecting signatures on 11 October.
Drohobych Saltworks is the oldest continuously operating enterprise in Europe. Salt production here is based on a unique technology that dates back to the 14th century. As a result, Drohobych salt is pure and free of impurities.
In addition to its unique production, Drohobych Saltworks is a tourist magnet that attracts thousands of tourists from Ukraine and even abroad.
The State Property Fund has recently added the integral property complex of the Drohobych Saltworks to the list of objects to be privatised. Preparations are underway to hold an auction to sell the plant.
The petition states, among other things, that the transfer of the Drohobych Saltworks to private ownership could pose several significant threats. First of all, its privatisation could lead to the loss of authenticity or destruction of historic buildings. The private owner may decide to change the purpose of the enterprise, which may reduce its historical and tourist value.
Privatisation may lead to job losses or changes in working conditions, which will have a negative impact on the local population. The biggest danger is that a private owner will focus on making a profit rather than preserving the historical and cultural importance of the enterprise.
If the saltworks is in the municipal ownership of the city, the city authorities and the community can better control the preservation of architectural monuments and historical sites, as the saltworks is an important part of Drohobych’s heritage. In addition, the local community is interested in developing tourism. The city’s ownership can guarantee that the saltworks will be used to increase tourist attractiveness and contribute to the economic development of the region. Please support the petition and help preserve the saltworks!”, – the petition reads.
You can support the petition here: https://petition.e-dem.ua/drohobych/Petition/View/111
As a reminder, the position of the Drohobych City Council on this issue remains unchanged – today, the session of the Drohobych City Council supported another appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a request not to sell the saltworks to a private owner, but to transfer it to the communal property of the Drohobych community.