Alexandru Oleinic, managing co-chairman of the People’s Party of the Republic of Moldova (PPRM), considers the decision to postpone the implementation of the amendments to the Law on Local Public Finances all over the country impinges on the local power decentralization reform and is dictated by the electoral interests of the ruling parties, IPN reports.  

“I want to note that the local power decentralization reform represents one of the priorities of the current government and one of the main objectives of the reform document that was presented to the development partners in Brussels in order to obtain foreign technical assistance and to promote the decentralization reform. We witness again the government’s lack of responsibility for honoring the commitments as the decentralization reform is considerably behind schedule at a time when the authorities say the decentralization must represent an objective of national interest that should be achieved by the concerted effort of the political class of Moldova,” stated the leader of the PPRM

According to him, by delaying the local power decentralization reform, the government deprives the villages of significant development resources as, under the new provisions of the Law on Local Public Finances, 75% of the money collected from taxing private individuals were to remain in the budgets of the rural settlements.

“Furthermore, by postponing this reform, the modernization of administration and the increase in the capacity of the territorial-administrative units is delayed. But this means public services of a higher quality and at lower prices, modernization of the organizations that provide these services (water, sewerage, waste collection, etc.), independent management of the local budget and capacity to repair the local kindergarten, school or roads,” said Alexandru Oleinic, expressing his conviction that the representatives of the local power will show wisdom and will cope with the challenges imposed by the central power.

The amendments to the Law on Local Public Finances were adopted by Parliament, but they will take effect on January 1, 2015. From January 1, 2014, financial autonomy will enjoy only four administrative units of the country – the municipality of Chisinau and the districts of Basarabeasca, Ocnita and Rascani.