The partnership between the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction (MRDC) and the Regional Development Agencies in Moldova is promising, following which all parties involved in regional development will have to benefit. The statement was made on Wednesday, 6 July, by the Director of the Department for Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia within the Central Office of GIZ, Manfred Horr, at the North RDA, where he was accompanied by representatives of GIZ Office in Chisinau and officials from the MRDC.
The meeting held at the office of the North RDA was attended by the Deputy Minister of the Regional Development and Construction, Anatol Usatii, the Chairman of the North Regional Development Council (North RDC), Ion Leuca, the Country Director of GIZ, the Manager of the Project “Modernization of Local Public Services in the Republic of Moldova” (MLPS), Philipp Johannsen, and the MLPS national consultants.
Among the issues discussed at the briefing attended by the Director of GIZ, both the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Construction, Anatol Usatii and the Chairman of North RDC, Ion Leuca, mentioned the need to implement the reforms of decentralization at regional level, increase the authority of the North RDC by amending the law on regional development, as well as cross-sector approach to problems in implementation of regional development strategies. In this context, the Country Director of GIZ and the MLPS Project Manager, Philipp Johannsen, supported the statement of the Chairman of the North RDC, Ion Leuca, according to whom the development partners shall be involved in making decisions at national level, an idea supported by the Deputy Minister Anatol Usatii. At the same time, the Senior National Consultant in the field of regional and local development policies within the MLPS project, Alexandru Muravschi, admitted the need for the Parliament to approve the National Regional Development Strategy by means of a law.
“We count very much on a good collaboration in the future, which will result in projects that will make our life easier. For this purpose political will at central level and very, very hard work is required”, the Chairman of the North Regional Development Council, Ion Leuca, said.
In this context, the Chairman of the North RDC Ion Leuca, President of Glodeni Rayon, said it is important that all national funds in Moldova are included in one regional development fund, which would allow development issues to be resolved efficiently and more operatively. As an example, the President Ion Leuca referred to the situation of the Sugar Factory in Glodeni town, which failed for various reasons, and along with this residents of Glodeni face a number of challenges: from the lack of drinking water, to unemployment and economic and financial, legal and regional development problems. The cross-sector approach to these issues and the existence of a single national development fund would enable efficient resolution of such problems, the President Ion Leuca argued referring to the experience of small countries in the European Union.
In turn, the Director of the North RDA, Ion Bodrug, reviewed the main achievements of the pilot regional development projects implemented in the North Development Region and funded through the MLPS project, managed by GIZ. It is about the pilot projects “Efficient Street Lighting in Tatarauca Veche Commune, Soroca Rayon”, “Improvement of Water and Sewerage Services in Riscani Rayon” and “Improvement of Solid Waste Management in Floresti Rayon”, the positive impact of which contributed and will contribute to improving the standards of living of citizens. “Thanks to the MLPS project, the three pilot projects were developed and implemented to serve as an example for other localities as well. The experience of their implementation was useful for the projects funded by the National Regional Development Fund as well”, the Director of the North RDA, said.
On 6-7 July, the Head of the Department for Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia of the Central Office of GLZ, Manfred Horr, is in the North Development Region to monitor the regional development projects in the north of the country, funded by the German Government through GIZ.
