Government will boost transparency in governing process – PM

The Government will undertake all the measures to develop the mechanism of the transparent government in Moldova complying with European requirements, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev declared Tuesday, September 5, during a seminar concerning public participation in the decision-making process. According to PM, the Government will undertake practical measures in order to develop and make more efficient the co-operation and dialogue with the civil society. Thus, a disposal of the Cabinet created a special group comprising Executive’s and civil society’s representatives, with the goal to make proposals on bettering the mechanism of granting access to information and improving the state of transparency in the decision-making process. Tarlev specified that this project will be examined and approved by the Government in the near future, and then forwarded to the Parliament as a bill. By the end of the year the group will draft a practical program of communication between the Government, civil society and media. Eugen Cibotaru, head of Council of Europe’s Media Division, said that CoE pays special attention to the problems related to access to information. “Under democracy authorities should employ transparency in all their activities. The RM was the region’s one of the first to adopt a law on access to information”, the source said. At the same time, according to Cibotaru, it is a good idea to pass a law on transparency in the decision making act. CoE could provide the necessary expertise. The access to information should be prohibited merely as exceptions, the source concluded. The seminar is attended by representatives of the civil society, public authorities, and foreign experts. The seminar will end Wednesday, September 6.