In Riscani, the new composition of the Local Steering Committee for the implementation of a pilot project to improve the water and sanitation services is nominated

This year’s first ordinary meeting of the Local Steering Committee (LSC) for the implementation of the ‘Improvement of water and sanitation services in Riscani Rayon’ project took place within the premises of Riscani Rayon Council (RC). Following the local general elections from last summer, the composition of LSC needed modification.  Thus, the LSC members elected Zinaida Tcaci, the VicePresident of RC Riscani as President of the Committee. Ion Costetchi, the Head of  RC Riscani Municipal Services and Roads Department was elected as the Vicepresident of LSC. Lilia Buinovscaia, the local manager of the pilot project was appointed as Secretary of LSC. 

At the meeting, 10 out of 11 LSC memebers evaluated the progress of activities implemented in the fourth quarter of last year and in the first quarter of this year according to the project implementaiton plan. At the same time, the LSC members planned the activities for 2016 and examined the issues and risks that could impact the successful carrying out of the planned activities. Also, for the issues that arose during implementation, solutions were found by adjusting the planned activities to the current requirements and situation.

Victor Caun, the Head of the Project Management Service within the Ministry of Regional Development and Constructions (MRDC) stated that the pilot project from Riscani Rayon is of both regional and national importance and that it should be further developed. ‘This is a unique project that can serve as an example of success for other regions’, mentioned the MRDC official.

In her turn, Valentina Plesca, GIZ national superior advisor on local public services, said that at this stage it is crucial to find out what are the priorities of the local public administration (LPA), especially given that a new memorandum of cooperation within the pilot project is to be signed, as the previous one ended in December 2015. ‘We will continue to support this project in partnership with LPA and MRDC. We are currently at the stage when we should plan the project activities for the next period’, pointed the GIZ representative.

‘The assistance provided by the German Government befits the Riscani Rayon. The investment is huge. We have made eforts for the tender procedures to be carried in a timely manner. Therefore, we are the ones who can stop the implementation of the project in case the contracting procedure in water supply and sanitation service delivery stagnates or isn’t taking place’, underlined Ion Bodrug, director of RDA North.

Nelu Glasu, the mayor of Costesti, elected to this position at the June elections from 2015, recognised that a great amount of work is done in the implementation of the pilot project in order to improve the living standards of the Costesti commune inhabitants. ‘Maximum efforts will be made to collaborate with the parties involved in the project implementation’, the mayor of Costesti declared. He also stated that many are willing to sign contracts with the service provider company, but there are few possibilities.

At the Riscani LSC meeting, also, the results of the survey on the level of satisfaction of Duruitoare Veche inhabitants concerning the community infrastructure services compared to the situation five years ago were presented. Duruitoarea Veche is the place where until now the biggest part of works was carried out within the pilot project. The results of the survey were presented by Nicolae Moscalu, the executive director of the Public Association ‘Mostenitorii’ (Heirs).  According to him, students from the State University ‘Alecu Russo’ from Balti (SUARB) took part in the process and the sociological research was carried out by Dr. Igor Cojocaru, the dean of the SUARB Faculty of Law and Social Sciences.

The pilot project ‘Improvement of water and sanitation services in Riscani Rayon’ is implemented by RDA North and financially supported by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the European Union, through the  ‘Modernization of Local Public Services in the Republic of Moldova’ (MLPS) project, managed by GIZ. According to MLPS, the total value of the pilot project from Riscani Rayon is EUR 1.117.306 (including, German investments – EUR 1.103.431, local contribution – EUR 13.875).

It is to mention, that on 18 December 2015, a cooperation agreement for the development of a sustainable water supply and sanitation system and service (WSS) in Riscani Rayon was signed within the pilot project.  By way of signing the document, the Riscani Rayon Council, Costesti City Council, Alexandresti Municipal Council, Braniste Municipal Council, Horodiste Village Council, Petruseni Village Council and Parjota Municipal Council plan to develop together the WSS service by jointly supplying and providing the services on the territory of the administrative and territorial units of the parties to the agreement. Also, it is planned to implement with common efforts infrastructure development projects related to WSS services.