Chisinau city hall contracts grants, loan from EBRD

The Chisinau city hall has negotiated two 3-million-euro grants and a 10-million-euro loan with the European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The money will be used for two projects, general mayor Dorin Chirtoaca told his staff's meeting on June 22, Info-Prim Neo reports. The money will be used to carry out two feasibility studies concerning the municipal companies supplying water and public conveyance, in order to secure European funds to develop those enterprises. The first stage of the projects, implying negotiations, took place by the end of the last week. Discussions were held with the EBRD representative regarding the commitments to be made by the Chisinau Municipal Council in receiving those grants. The main condition is to adjust tariffs on running water and public conveyance. Such projects were carried in countries from Asia, as the similar enterprises are recording profits of millions, essentially contributing to the local budgets, Dorin Chirtoaca said. According to the mayor, the grants will contribute to solving the issues related to the water-cleaning plant and to purchasing public transport vehicles. The loan will be used to buy 10 buses. The second stage is about concluding the contract with the EBRD, and the Municipal Council has a key role here. The ongoing crisis in the CMC can negatively influence the attraction of the grants. The order of the day of the CMC provides for broaching the issues of the water and transport tariffs, but it goes on adjourning its sittings. A new attempt to hold the CMC's sitting will be made on June 25.