BOTOSANI means the fair of Botos. Botos was the "ancestor". It was from him that the life of the inhabitants of the village, which later turned into a market, began. Situated in a random place, far away from the great waters of the Siret and the Prut, the village of Botosanilor did not foresee a great future. But one of the great trade roads of Moldavia of Bogdan the founder, Alexander the Good and Stephen the Great touched it.
In 1496 Stephen the Great builds the Popauti church, near today's city. At that time, Botosanii was a market that could be seen from Popauti but did not touch the latter, clustered around the church and Stefan's bell tower.
In 1528, Petru Rares, who had just begun his reign, writes from the Botosan market. Until 1571 the city is charmed by the Vornicii Doamnei Elena, daughter of Ioan Despotul, and knows a remarkable period of flourishing.
The departure from the country of Bogdan son of Ruxanda, in 1571, marks the end of the old prosperity of Botosanilor, which Petru Rares had founded and cared for his entire nation.
The eighteenth century was not looking better for the trade of Botosanilor as the times between 1600 and 1700, but the city was part of a new care and embellishment reigning.
In 1812 Bessarabia is lost, and the Prutul becomes the southern border of the country. United by business ties with those of Bucovina and Bessarabia, the Botosanian Jews, along with the Armenian merchant community, become in this city a ferment of economic life and Botosanii have only to gain.
In 1834 the Organic Regulation was given, a constitutive law that gave all cities the same status. Until the Regulation, however, Botosani had rights that no other city enjoyed. The Organic Regulation gave other forms to the life of cities. The building of railroads, the bringing of goods directly from abroad, gave the hardest blow to this new Botosani. Another cause of decay was the destruction by commercial conventions of the great cattle trade, the chief wealth of Moldavia.
By the law of 1868 for the establishment of Chambers of Commerce, a Chamber of Commerce was established in Botosani for the North of Moldavia. Two months later, by Princely Decree No.996 of July 3, 1868, the county of Dorohoi joined this Chamber of Commerce, and by the law published in the Official Gazette No.31 of 1886, the county of Falticeni (Baia) was added to it.
But the "Chamber of Commerce and Industry Botosani" was established on August 18, 1868, forming the 9th circumscription of the 12 Chambers of Commerce in the old Kingdom.
In this formation "Chamber of Commerce and Industry" Botosani with the counties of Dorohoi and Baia functioned until May 1925 when the law of reorganization of the Chambers of Commerce was assigned to this circumscription and Hotin county. The new formation lasts until July 1929 when Hotin county forms a separate chamber.
The "Chamber of Commerce and Industry" of Botosani, with the counties of Dorohoi and Baia is the only Chamber of Commerce whose constituency has remained as it was formed since its constitution. The first leaders of the Chamber of Commerce were appointed, not elected. The first elections were held in 1874.
Between 1868-1932 there were 21 Boards of Trustees, the first (1868- 1874) appointed and the others elected by vote.
The "Chamber of Commerce and Industry" of Botosani is among the few in the country whose Boards of Directors have always stayed until the end of their mandates, and the officials have continuously kept their posts.
Since the very beginning of its functioning, the "Chamber of Commerce and Industry" Botosani has had its say on all issues on the agenda.
To regulate the economic life in Northern Moldova, following the request of the Chamber of Commerce, the Grain and Commodities Exchange was founded in 1926. The activity of the Grain and Commodities Exchange was limited due to the fact that the law did not oblige either the seller or the buyer to register their transactions on the Exchange.
By Decree no.74/24 February 1949 the Chambers of Commerce and Industry are abolished, with the exception of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Mixed Chambers.
WHO WE ARE
After an absence of almost half a century from the Romanian economic landscape, the territorial Chambers of Commerce and Industry were re-established in order to fill an institutional void created by the political and economic centralism of the communist regime.
Constituted by the General Assembly of Members on 24.07.1990 and established by HG 799/23.07.1990, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Botosani was established on the basis of Decree Law 139/12.05.1990. Since 2007, with the enactment of Law 335, the Romanian Chambers of Commerce are organized and operate under their own law. This law stipulates the legislative framework, organization, functioning and attributions of these institutions.
Associative organization, democratic by structure, apolitical, non-governmental, autonomous and of public utility, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Botosani aims, as stated in its statute, "to promote Romanian trade and industry at home and abroad and to support its members, mainly SMEs with private capital, in relations with the authorities in the country and specialized bodies abroad."
This was not an easy mission that the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Botosani assumed with full responsibility, doubled by the ambition to demonstrate not only its ability to be a worthy continuator of the tradition of the "Chamber of Commerce and Industry" and to fulfill its legal duties, but also to anticipate the still unexpressed needs of the member firms. Thus, with enthusiasm coupled with hard work and competence, the Chamber has succeeded in defining its vocation and the concrete missions to be achieved, those of representing the interests of the local business community, informing and providing direct technical assistance through a very diversified range of specialized services.
WHY WE ARE NEEDED
In its first and most specific mission, that of lobbying in favor of its members, by representing the interests of commercial and industrial firms in the region, the Chamber is in a relationship of communication and mutual support with SMEs, it exists through and for them and must be the spokesperson of their interests in all local, national and international instances where political and administrative decisions are made that affect the business climate. Understanding the exact value of the "commodity" called information for the success of any business, the Botosani Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture has cultivated and exploited its natural relations with national and international networks of Chambers of Commerce and other information structures.
Being aware, on the one hand, that not being connected to the international information networks of the companies that can benefit from it, being flexible and in full economic development, practically leads to their exclusion from the national and international transactions market, and on the other hand, that only their development both in terms of numbers and economic potential can create a solid basis for local and regional economic development, The Chamber wishes to constitute for the Botosanen firms a real data bank or, more precisely, their access code to information in all fields, directly or indirectly related to national and European activity, international regulations and standards, used in international trade, business opportunities or technical and financial assistance programs.
In a logical and necessary way, the effort of accumulation and dissemination of information is doubled by a very diversified offer of specialized services, consisting of legal advice in the field of business, consultancy and technical assistance in foreign trade, continuous professional training of private entrepreneurs and management of companies with majority state capital.
In order to increase the competitiveness of products and services and to promote Romanian exports, the Chamber organizes the participation of local companies in promotional events, fairs and exhibitions, economic missions in the country and abroad, business forums, colloquia and symposia, all aimed to facilitate better knowledge of the economic potential of the region and to provide direct contacts with foreign partners, potential collaborators or investors in our area.
A COMMERCIAL TEMPTATION FOR THREE COUNTRIES
Always located at the intersection of important communication routes, Botosani county, also known as a country end, has the advantage of a privileged edge being a virtual turntable for the trade of three states: Romania, Ukraine and Moldova. It only remains for us, the businessmen in this area, to know how to transform the virtual quality of the place into a real advantage and prosperity.
Our short step in the commercial traditions of Botosan is, at the same time, an invitation to all those who want to invest and earn with us.