The Steering Committee of MCA Moldova approved the Compact implementation action plan and its budget amounting to about US$113 million for 2014. A significant part of this amount - around US$60 million will be used to complete the construction works on the 93 km Sarateni-Soroca road segment, IPN reports.

The construction works left to be done, including the rehabilitation of local roads to facilitate the access to social facilities, such as schools, hospitals etc. are expected to be completed by July 2014.

According to a press release from MCA Moldova, about US$38 million will be used to rehabilitate irrigation systems, as the construction works at the Criuleni and Lopatna irrigation systems will be resumed and the construction works at other eight irrigation systems are expected to start this spring. The approved budget covers funds for the Post-Harvest Credit Facility, Irrigation Sector Reform Activity, Compact monitoring and evaluation and other components.

As for the Criuleni and Lopatna irrigation systems the rehabilitation of which has already started, 38% of the works have already been carried out. According to the contract the two systems shall be put into operation in the autumn of 2014.

The US$262 Compact is a 5-year US Government program (2010-2015) that aims to increase the incomes of the Moldovan people by developing road infrastructure, rehabilitating irrigation systems and encouraging the transition to the high-value agriculture.