National Regional Development Coordination Council sets out financing priorities

The National Regional Development Coordination Council will request the Government of Moldova to finance 56 major projects to develop the regions Centru, Nord and Sud. According to a communique from the Council, the projects could be financed from the National Regional Development Fund during 2010-2012, Info-Prim Neo reports. Minister of Construction and Regional Development Marcel Raducan said the list of regional development projects was included in the draft common program document that describes the steps that will be taken during the next three years to achieve the regional development objectives. The common program document represents a platform for negotiation with the investors and development partners in the process of attracting financing for regional development projects. The projects are aimed at rehabilitating the infrastructure, supporting the development of the private sector, especially in rural areas, protecting the environment and promoting tourist attraction. They were selected by the regional development councils out of 135 projects presented. The 56 projects to the value of about 1.2 billion lei will be implemented and coordinated by the Regional Development Agencies and the Ministry of Construction and Regional Development. Under the law on regional development, the National Regional Development Fund consists of 1% of the yearly state budget revenues. This year it will total 135.4 million lei plus the €1.75 million provided by the British Government under the memorandum of understanding signed by the UK Department for International Development and the Government of Moldova.