Structure of LPA runs counter to local autonomy principles, study

The permanent restructuring of the local public administration (LPA) during the last decades has serious repercussions on their functioning. The present structure of the LPA and of the staff does not meet many requirements, while the central public authorities assign new tasks without taking into account the capacity of the LPA and without earmarking money for this. These are the conclusions of the study “Organization and Functioning of the LPA in Moldova: Structure, Powers and Resources” made by the Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul. The study was presented on October 27. 'The role of the PLA is misinterpreted. The major function of the local public authorities that are local representatives of the Government is to distribute the financial resources transferred from the central budget or district budgets so as to ensure the functioning of public institutions of national interest, especially in the education sector. The present state of affairs is contrary to the European Chart on Local Self-Government signed by Moldova, which says that the legal responsibilities and functional and financial capacities of the local authorities must be correlated,” said Viorel Furdui, legal expert at IDIS “Viitorul” and co-author of the study. The legislation does not clearly delimit the local public authorities of the first degree from those of the second degree and the deliberative or executive authorities, said Andrian Chivriga, associated expert of IDIS and co-author of the study. He also said that this confusion is more evident is such areas as education, social protection, healthcare, administration of the local property. The IDIS experts consider that the system of local public finances is outdated. “The low fiscal decentralization in Moldova and the specific formation of the local budgets make the local public authorities be dependent on the central authorities. 75-90% of the local budgets represent special resources coming from the state budget or the district budgets,” Chivriga said. The experts said that it is not right to oblige the local public authorities to provide the judges, police officers, information and security officers and military men with dwellings. They argue that these functionaries perform duties of national interest and they should be provided with dwellings by the central authorities. The study contains recommendations for improving the capacity of the local authorities. It says that the structure of the personnel in the local public administration must be based on the specific necessities of the settlements and their economic, social and financial possibilities.