Only a judicious territorial-administrative organization can increase efficiency of LPA, experts

The ratio of people to companies in rural areas stands at 1,000 : 5-6. Of them, only 1-2 are industrial companies. This affects the local budget revenues, which represent 1,215 lei per capita, as against the national average of 1,847 lei. The data are contained in a report that assesses the administrative capacities of the local public authorities. The study was commissioned by the Joint Integrated Local Development Program (JILDP) and carried out by experts of Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul”, the Urban Development Institute and the Romanian consultancy company “Avensa” in the context of the formulation of the Decentralization Strategy, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a public debate, JILDP manager Valeria Iesanu said the study covers 68 territorial-administrative units - 10 towns and 58 villages. It analyzed their economic situation and factors that determine it, the state of the infrastructure, the organizational capacity of the local public authorities, financial management and capacity for strategic planning and investment attraction. According to Veaceslav Bulat, Urban Development Institute director and one of the authors of the study, the low number of companies and the poorly developed economic structure explain the limited financial capacities of the local public authorities and the impossibility to restore the infrastructure and stimulate the development process at the local level. “Avensa” expert Daniel Barbu, who analyzed the LPAs’ capacity for strategic planning and investment attraction, said that not all the territorial-administrative units have strategic development plans. Those that have such plans seldom update them and do not use them as working instruments, but only for archiving. A major problem is the shortage of specialized personnel. Only 74 persons in all the 68 territorial-administrative units have knowledge of strategic planning and investment attraction. IDIS “Viitorul” expert Victor Popa said that no normative document concerning the LPAs was adjusted to the law on the local public administration. Therefore, the local elected authorities and employees of the mayor’s offices often do not fully know their powers and responsibilities. Many of the decisions are taken accidentally, without the participation of the people and the NGO sector. JILDP manager Alexandru Ursul said the administrative capacities of the assessed settlements are inappropriate. “The picture would have been complete if the study had covered all the national territorial-administrative units. But the identified trends and problems are correct. The Decentralization Strategy must help solve them,” he stated. Politician Tudor Deliu said that the efficiency of the LPAs depends greatly on the territorial-administrative organization that must be judicious. “There are territorial-administrative units whose revenues are lower even than the mayor’s annual salary. But we should not forget that the efficiency of the local public administration is judged by the quantity and quality of the public services provided for the population. Some of the LPAs turned into registry offices that issue certificates. There is no political will and thus many of the related problems remain unsolved,” said Tudor Deliu. 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. It is implemented by UNDP Moldova in concert with UNIFEM, with the financial support of the Swedish Government.