Entrepreneurs, farmers and the local authorities on Thursday and Wednesday are taking part in a conference that presents the results of the LEADER approach in the Republic of Moldova, from the rural development method to a LEADER National Program. This is the EU’s initiative aimed at addressing problems faced in rural areas and at boosting local economic growth. In the opening of the event, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița noted that regional development is a priority for the Government, IPM reports.
“The Government the past year adopted a series of measures that are aimed at directly dealing with the needs of local communities. I will make reference to only two of them: full allocation of the amounts collected as road tax to mayor’s offices, which enabled to repair local roads that had been neglected for decades, and the institution of the National Regional and Local Development Fund that recently funded projects to the value of over 2 billion lei within the European Village program. The villages should develop at the same pace as the cities and should become resilient, connected and prosperous,” stated Natalia Gavrilița, being quoted in a press release of the Government.
The Republic of Moldova is the first Eastern Partnership country that implements the LEADER Program. Launched in the summer of 2022, the program is financed by the National Agriculture and Rural Development Fund.
“This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry approved the financing of 37 Local Action Groups, with 17.4 million lei being allocated for founding and developing enterprises and creating new jobs, buying modern tools and equipment, renovating areas and buildings of economic, social, historic and cultural importance, modernizing local public services, maintaining and developing local cultural and natural heritage and rural tourism,” stated Premier Gavrilița.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea noted that the Government realizes the necessity of increasing the immunity of rural areas and will take concrete measures to develop the economic sector and to improve the organizational skills of local communists. Emphases will be placed on the economic development of rural communities covered by the Local Action Groups by extending partnerships and implementing local development strategies.
The second LEADER conference is taking place at the Palace of the Republic in Chisinau on October 6-7. The event is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Solidarity Fund PL and the LEADER national network and is accompanied by a fair staged in the open air.
