Even if the meetings of mayors and premiers at the start of the tenure of mayors or of prime ministers became a tradition, the problems of localities presented at such events continue to be in the shadow, local elected officials stated in a dialogue of Prime Minister Ion Chicu and all the mayors of Moldova, IPN reports.
Nicolae Tudoreanu, mayor of Feștelița village of Ștefan Vodă district, holds his fifth term in office. He noted that all the reforms done in the local public administration are half measures. No reform was completed. “The most important problems are related to the own revenues of the local public authorities that remained unchanged since 1999. The quotas and implementation procedures set down in the Tax Code that was formulated 20 years ago are outdated. All things change, but only those related to the local public administration remained the same as in 1999,” he stated.
According to Constantin Cojocaru, mayor of Edineţ municipality, who serves his fourth term, the meetings with Premiers are rather informative and are less events where to take attitudes and present positions. The mayors need only to have their hands untied as they can solve the local problems themselves. “We must insist on the decentralization of funds that are very politicized. The mayors continue to be politically dependent as we work based on a rather politicized and centralized system. When we complete the decentralization, including as regards the regional development, ecological, road funds, things will stand differently,” stated Constantin Cojocaru.
Ion Dolganiuc, who has served as a mayor in Colibași, Cahul, for 12 years, said the number of specialists employed in the local public administration is now the top problem of mayors. The salary leaves to be desired and does not enable to attract young specialists, professionals or to keep the formed ones. “The local authorities cannot cope with the problems with the incomes they have. They should be allowed to have additional revenues. If the problems are enumerated, they are not necessarily solved. The government should understand that the local and central public authorities are on the same boat,” he noted.
In the opening of the meeting, Premier Chicu said the meeting is a starting point for establishing a constructive dialogue between the local and central public authorities. Things will not change if the given authorities do not combine forces. “If we together focus on the problems of people and if we exclude politics from our dialogue, things will improve,” stated the official.
In Moldova there are almost 900 mayors.
