Joint Integrated Local Development Program reconfirms friend in need is a friend indeed

From next week, the assistance provided within the Joint Integrated Local Development Program will extend to another five villages that have been affected by this summer’s floods, Info-Prim Neo reports. In an interview, Alexandru Ursul, project manager within the program, said that compared with villages from Hancesti and Cantemir districts, the chosen settlements have been less seriously stricken, but the residents anyway lost the harvests and do not have the possibility of complementing the family incomes. “In these villages, we will propose another type of projects. They will enable about 100 villagers to carry out remunerated public works and to earn money. There will be provided grants of US$20,000 for every village. The Soros - Moldova Foundation will allocate money for covering the related costs in one village, while the grants for the other four villages will be offered by the Embassy of Denmark based in Bucharest. Alexandru Ursul said projects to restore infrastructure facilities destroyed by waters have been launched with the support of the program in five flood-hit villages. In Stoianovca village of Cantemir, the local authorities and the residents decided to use the grant for rehabilitating the water supply system. In Gheltosu village of the same district, there will be reconstructed a road segment. The inhabitants of Obileni, Cotul Morii and Nemteni of Hancesti also chose to restore and modernize the water supply systems. The given villages will receive grants of US$40,000 (480,000 lei). Launched in 2007, the Joint Integrated Local Development Program aims to strengthen legal and regulatory frameworks and streamline local administrative procedures and systems. There is an emphasis on developing and implementing a framework for the effective delegation of authority to the local public authorities, fiscal decentralization to deliver essential services, and the promotion of a greater role for women in decision-making bodies. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency made a substantial contribution to the program.