The communes of Geamăna, Zolotievca, and Ochiul Ros in the Anenii Noi district have approved the final decision for voluntary amalgamation, set to form a single administrative unit. The localities will benefit from financial support of 13 million lei from the Government, funds that will be invested in the modernization of infrastructure and public services, reports IPN.

The Secretary General of the Government, Alexei Buzu, specified that the funds will be used for the rehabilitation of roads, expansion and modernization of water and sewage networks, improvement of public lighting and efficiency enhancement of public institutions.

According to the authorities, this is the second final amalgamation decision adopted within the framework of local public administration reform, which aims to strengthen the capacity of municipalities and increase citizens’ access to quality public services.

Currently, about 800 municipalities are involved in the voluntary amalgamation process. The reform is also motivated by the fact that over 87% of the municipalities in the Republic of Moldova serve communities with less than 3 thousand inhabitants, having limited budgets and administrative capacities for the implementation of development projects.

The authorities claim that communities choosing to amalgamate will benefit from financial incentives of 3 thousand lei for each resident of the participating villages. At the same time, citizens will have access to public services through the Unified Service Delivery Centers and the single window system, and a representative of the mayor will operate in each locality.