Mayors of 40 municipalities in Moldova signed in Chisinau grant agreements for the implementation of 10 inter-municipal cooperation initiatives. They provide for public services - waste collection and disposal, street lighting, road maintenance and snow removal, urban development, and repairs. The total value of the grants is US$ 1 million, IPN reports.
Projects provide for purchasing multi-functional equipment that will serve several localities, and a more cost-efficient operation of the service companies to ensure they are rentable. Grants were provided by the Joint Integrated Local Development Program, which is coordinated by the State Chancellery and implemented by UNDP and UN Women, with funding from the Government of Denmark.
“Empowering people to lead their own development is at the core of our work in Moldova,” said Nicola Harrington-Buhay, UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova. “The partnerships created through the inter-municipal agreements will contribute to more efficient public services, including for the most vulnerable, and improving the lives of 120,000 people from local communities in Moldova”.
”Public services provided jointly in several villages are a true salvation for small municipalities, which are not able to provide their own quality services. I am happy that Festelita will participate in such a project,” Nicolae Tudoreanu, mayor of Festelita, Stefan Voda, said at the signing ceremony. Villages Festelita, Ermoclia, and Popeasca will work together to extend public lighting to 15 km of roads.
The mechanism of inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) is an innovative tool of local public administration which involves coordination among several municipalities to establish and operate joint utility ventures. IMCs represent a viable alternative, especially for smaller municipalities. In Moldova, 86% of towns have less than 5,000 inhabitants.
