The local public authorities (LPA) level I and II from Briceni, Ocnita, Edinet, and Donduseni, which are eligible for taking part in the Call of Proposals for regional development project selection for 2017-2020, participated in an information session at Edinet Rayon Council premises on Friday, 25 March. Around 70 potential beneficiaries of grants allocated from the National Fund for Regional Development (NFRD) gathered in Edinet.

On Thursday, 24 March a similar information event took part in Balti, attended by approx. 100 LPA representatives level I and II from Balti municipality and Singerei, Riscani, Glodeni and Falesti rayons. Next week, this kind of information sessions will be held in Soroca, where LPA representatives level I and II from Drochia, Soroca, and Floresti rayons will meet on 30 March.

At the opening of the event in Edinet, Ion Bodrug, North RDA director said at this stage the local public authorities attention and involvement are important. North RDA director informed the participants that as a result of the launched competition, a roadmap of regional development projects to be implemented during 2017-2020 would be developed by the end of this year.

‘A new planning period has begun – 2017-2020 within which measures will be taken to draft legal acts, regulations and legislative acts and plan activities on the implementation of projects designed to help in achieving regional development policy goals. Earlier, the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction – via the regional development agencies and local public authorities – had implemented a number of projects with support from the National Fund for Regional Development (NFRD). NFRD is a fund formed based on the allocations from the state budget, in the amount of 1% of its revenue, and also attracted financial means from development partners. Project proposal submission has been extended until 3 May, in order give local public authorities the possibility to better prepare their projects, to give a detailed description of the outcomes, outputs which aims at getting a major impact both for the community and for the region as a whole. The project proposals’ evaluation will take place in several stages: two at regional level and later an examination by the inter-ministerial commission at national level will take place,’ said Sergiu Cecan, head of the Division for Relations with Regional Development Institutions within the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction.

The chairman of Edinet Rayon Council, Iurii Caras, host of Edinet event, stated that the launch of an information session on the new call of proposals is welcomed and thanked RDA North representatives for close cooperation and active involvement with local public administration.

During the session, North RDA specialists presented the new rules for project proposals application, responsibilities and roles of actors involved in project implementation, other opportunities of obtaining funds besides NFRD. Also, RDA North representatives mentioned that the value of all projects selected within the national call of proposals is approx. one billion lei which will be gradually allocated until 2020, from NFRD sources.

At the end of the information session, Marin Capraru, EUSDR representative informed the local authorities regarding the benefits of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in the Republic of Moldova. More useful information on this subject can be found below, under heading EUSDR. Additionally, Oxana Paierele, head of International Relations and Investment Attraction Division within the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction delivered a speech on local public authorities involvement in cross-border and cross-national programmes.

Until 3 May 2016, LPAs level I and II from the Development Region North (Balti, Briceni, Edinet, Donduseni, Drochia, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Ocnita, Rascani, Sangerei, Soroca) can submit concept notes to RDA North (mun. Balti, 8, Piata Vasile Alecsandri). Several stages will follow: filling in of concept notes, selection and approval for financing. This process will take 5 months.

The selected projects will obtain funding from NFRD and have to be related to the following fields: regional and local road infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, solid waste management; business infrastructure development, enhancing tourist attraction and energy efficiency in public buildings.