Balti, 19 May 2016. At the second ordinary session of this year, 41 of the total 48 members of the North Regional Development Council (RDC) decided to approve 39 of the 54 concept notes for the regional development projects submitted by the local public authorities of levels I and II of the North Development Region. They were admitted to the second phase of the Tender of regional development projects that will be implemented from the resources of the National Regional Development Fund in 2017-2020, in accordance with the Tender launched by the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction (MRDC) on 15 March this year.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Regional Development and Construction Vasile Bitca, the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Construction Anatol Usatii, the head of the General Directorate of Regional Development of the MRDC Valerian Binzaru.

We remind that at the first phase of the Tender, which was held from 15 March to 3 May this year, the local public administrations (LPAs) of the levels I and II in Balti municipality and the 11 Rayons in the North Development Region (Briceni, Edinet, Donduseni, Drochia, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Ocnita, Riscani, Singerei, Soroca) filed at the office of the North Regional Development Agency (RDA) 54 concept notes for regional development projects. Subsequently, following the evaluation of members of the administrative commission, 4 concept notes did not accumulate the score required and were eliminated. Thus, the members of the North RDC were proposed to consider 50 concept notes, of which 39 were approved.

At the opening of the session, the Chairman of the North RDC, Ion Leuca, urged his colleagues to collaborate effectively with all stakeholders in the following phases of the Tender of regional development projects so as to select and implement those priority projects with regional impact that will contribute to improvement of the standards of living of the citizens of the North Development Region. “I wish very much that those present here, who represent different Rayons, different mayor’s offices, not least the civil society, know that we intend to be transparent as much as possible in making decisions, to conform to the realities of our region and not least to the issues faced by citizens and local authorities”, the Chairman of the North RDC said.

The Minister of Regional Development and Construction, Vasile Bitca, stressed the importance of today’s meeting of the North RDC that is crucial for the next phase of the Tender of projects conducted by the MRDC. “The best projects of those that you will admit to the second phase of the Tender will be implemented over the next four years. I wish you success and I urge you to work together efficiently, so that we finally enjoy together the good results”, the Minister Vasile Bitca, said.

In turn, the Director of the North RDA, Ion Bodrug, submitted detailed information on the activities conducted in the period from 15 March to 3 May this year at the first phase of the Tender, when information sessions were held for the local public authorities in the micro-regions of Balti, Edinet and Soroca. “I think that the concept notes collected at the first phase of the Tender, covering several aspects of the regional development, fully represent the wishes of the North Development Region”, the Director of the North RDA, Ion Bodrug, said, according to whom the quality of the concept notes submitted at the Tender is more important than their quantity.

Once the concept note evaluation report was heard, the North RDC members decided that the concept notes that accumulated at least 20 points are admitted to the phase II of the Tender. Thus, according to the six areas of intervention, the following projects were admitted to the next phase:

  • Infrastructure of Regional and Local Roads – 5 project concepts;
  • Water Supply and Sanitation – 10 project concepts;
  • Solid Waste Management – 5 project concepts;
  • Business Infrastructure Development – 9 project concepts;
  • Increasing Tourism Attraction – 5 project concepts;
  • Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings – 5 project concepts.

We note that the budgets of the 39 project concepts admitted to the second phase of the Tender amount to 917,727,810 MDL. The projects that will go through all the phases of the Tender will get funding from the National Regional Development Fund, making up 1% of the State Budget, and will be implemented in 2017-2020.

In this context, the Director of the North RDA said that from 15 March to 3 May the North RDA provided advice to potential applicants from the North Development Region. During this period, 226 representatives of the local public authorities of the levels I and II were guided in the development of the concept notes for development of projects with regional impact. As a whole, the specialists of the Project Management Department of the North RDA provided 102 consultations as follows: Balti -3; Donduseni – 4; Soroca -15; Briceni – 8; Ocnita -9; Drochia -4; Riscani -4; Falesti – 9; Glodeni -10; Edinet -8; Singerei -12; Floresti -16.

As for the receipt of the concept notes according to the Rayons, the Director of the North RDA said that most – 7 each – are from Donduseni and Falesti Rayons, 6 each – from Glodeni and Singerei, 5 each – from Edinet, Soroca Rayons and Balti municipality, 4 each – from Briceni and Floresti Rayons, 3 – from Riscani, 1 each – from Drochia and Ocnita Rayons.

In the period from 19 May to 23 May the local public authorities may challenge the results of the evaluations of the concept notes. Subsequently, the final list of the projects admitted to the second phase of the Tender will be published on the website of the North RDA.

However, today, at the meeting of the North RDC, the specialists in strategic issues and planning referred to drafting the Sector Regional Programs in the field of business infrastructure development and tourism attraction in the North Region Development and presented details about organization of the Days of the North Development Region, the IVth edition, an the event which this year will take place in the period from 26 September to 2 October.