The number of procedures natural and legal entities have to go through to get construction authorizations will decrease from 30 to 20, while the term of getting them – from 292 to 206 days. The Government endorsed a draft law in this regard on January 28. Constructions Minister Vladimir Baldovici says the draft law has been developed following requests from companies, pursing to improve the Moldovan business climate. Re reminded that in a recent research (Doing Business), the World Bank places Moldova on the 156th spot of 181 countries by the intricacy of securing constructions authorizations. In other countries in the region, this procedure implies less red tape. For instance in Georgia, it takes to go through 22 procedures in 113 days to get an authorization. The price of the authorization is projected to drop 39 % from 14,734 lei to 9,023 lei. The draft preserves the right of the local authorities to issue the authorizations. However the endorsement of the Ministry will be necessary only in cases of strategic constructions - motorways, aqueducts, gas ducts and entities spreading over the territory of several territorial-administrative units. Baldovici says the next stage of simplifying these procedures will decrease from 7 to 3 the number of central authorities entitled to endorse constructions authorizations. The draft law provides for implementing the one-stop shop – a direction to check and give expertise to blueprints. Thus the projects will be endorsed within 30 days. The Constructions and Territorial Administration Minister hopes the law will diminish the number of illicit constructions, on rise now. In 2005 there were 310 unauthorized constructions reported, while in 2007 their number surged to 545.