All the assets and property currently owned by the government and its agencies in local communities should be transferred to the ownership of the respective local authorities, said Speaker Igor Grosu during the Mayors’ Forum, organized today at the Palace of the Republic.

According to Grosu, the central government doesn’t have the time or the money to adequately take care of such assets.

“Whether it’s land or buildings, my opinion is that they should belong to the local authorities, and I will do everything in my power so that this property is transferred to you. The governmental agencies don’t have the time or the resources to take care of these assets and put them to good use the way that you are able to do. Let’s register them, let’s transfer them to your ownership. You can lease them, or you can transfer them to private hands if that is what you think is best, but such property must not lay derelict”, declared Grosu.

As concerns the salary raises promised to local officials, Grosu pledged his support to make the amendments possible before the 2024 State Budget Bill is examined in the final reading.

On another subject, Grosu denounced the “massive and extremely brazen” vote-buying in the latest local elections. “There were agents parachuted with bags of money into towns which they didn’t know exist. Such things, especially vote-buying, must be severely punished”, said Igor Grosu.

The Mayors’ Forum, with the slogan “The Future of Local Public Administration”, is organized by the Government in partnership with the Congress of Local Authorities and under the auspices of President Maia Sandu.