While up until four years ago few knew about the existence of Jucu, a community in Cluj county with around 5,000 residents, it is now known not only by Romanians, but also by foreigners, mainly because of Nokia.
The Jucu-based Nokia plant was inaugurated in 2008 and raised the standard of living in Jucu through the public investments made. Yet, some of the projects remained uncompleted.
The Jucu mayoralty collected annually around half a billion euros from taxes paid by Nokia, which accounted for up to 30% of its annual budget, according to mayoralty representatives. The money was used to supply two small villages with water, to pave 4.5 kilometers of communal road, build a medical center and playgrounds and modernize the mayoralty headquarters.
There were not enough funds to finish the renovation of the school, kindergarten and the two stadiums proposed for the community, and additional sources of financing will be necessary after Nokia’s departure.
“The best year for the local budget was 2008, when taxes paid by Nokia amounted to 23 billion old lei (around EUR530,000), nearly 30% of the 2008 budget. After this year, the value somewhat decreased, but the taxes paid by Nokia amounted to around 20 billion old lei (around EUR460,000),” Jucu mayor Ioan Dorel Pojar told ZF.
The mayor prides himself on the investments he made with money from Nokia, saying the small town has changed for the better, and that the results are visible. He regrets Nokia’s departure from Jucu, but is sure other large companies will come, considering that Jucu hosts one of the most modern industrial parks in Romania, Tetarom III.
“Jucu’s image is not Nokia. I regret Nokia’s departure, but there are other companies hiring in Jucu, such as Ecolor (furniture manufacturer for IKEA), Holver (Austrian wood industry company), Panemar (bakery plant) and Tuborg’s storage facility. On the other hand, from talks with representatives of the Cluj county council, it results that Bosch is very likely to come to Jucu, as are two other major companies,” said Ioan Pojar.
He also said he found out about Nokia’s decision to close down the facility from plant employees and that in the first few days he was not contacted by officials of the Finnish company.
Asked to explain why only 100 Jucu residents worked for Nokia, the mayor said “the wages were much lower than those offered by other companies in Jucu, such as Ecolor and Holver, with most Jucu residents working in constructions or in agriculture. According to the Jucu mayor, wages of Nokia employees amounted to RON750 (EUR173). (EUR1=RON4.3308)
(English version by Daniela Stoican)