Căușeni, September 14, 2017

The Regional Development Council South(RDC South) held a new meeting  in Căușeni on September 14th, there were present  20 out of 32 elected members. The main topics discussed at the meeting were the implementation of investment projects approved for financing in 2017 and the use of the funds allocated for this purpose from the National Fund for Regional Development, the extension of the project "Water supply of the population of the localities Iargara, Filipeni, Romanovca and Cupcui, Leova district "financed from the EU, etc.

At the same time, the "Clean Water for the Prut River Basin Communities" project Impact Assessment Report was presented and it was decided to submit it to the National Coordination Council of Regional Development for consideration.  This investment project was submitted by the Căușeni District Council within 2016 project appeal announced by the Regional Development Agency South; it includes the construction of the networks, communications, access roads and spatial planning of the Căuşeni subsidiary of the Free Economic Zone Bălți.

The meeting was led by Nicolae Gorban, the president of the Căuşeni District, who welcomed the participants, highlighted the main objectives and presented the agenda.

At the proposal of the President of the Cimislia District, Mihai Olărescu, and voted by the majority of the council, the question regarding the election of the vice-president of the RDC South was excluded from the agenda of the meeting. It was decided to discuss this at the next meeting after the structural and institutional reforms at the central level which are now underway are done.

As a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment (MARDE) Igor Malai welcomed the audience on behalf of Minister Vasile Bîtca and reiterated the fact that the central authorities intend not only to ensure the continuity of the implementation of the regional development policies, but also to stimulate this process.

Maria Culeşov, the director of the RDA South, had the opening discourse and thanked the members of the RDC South for their involvement into regional development and effective cooperation. The Director expressed the hope that, with the establishment of specialized committees within the RDC South, and due to the changes that result from the approval of the new law on regional development, the main coordinating body for the regional development process in the South Region will strengthen its role, gaining greater skills and attributions.

Andrei Popusoi, the head of the Project Management Department of the RDA South, mentioned the implementation of the investment projects approved for financing in 2017: 6 regional projects, one of which was a transitory one, and five new projects. The total value of these projects is 179.4 million MDL, 36.1 million MDL out of them had been allocated for 2017. The utilization rate of the funds allocated for project implementation for eight months of 2017 is 17,336.45 MDL that is 48.1% out of 36,014.88 lei allocated for the current year.

An important topic on the agenda of the meeting was the submission to the interministerial commission for re-evaluation of the investment project "Opportunities for Investment Attractiveness in the South Development Region Economy". In this respect, Vera Ciuchitu, the head of the Economy and Investment Section of Căușeni District Council, informed that, according to the Law no. 169 from July 31, 2015 on the extension of the Free Economic Zone Bălți in Strășeni and Căuşeni towns, Căuseni District Council has carried out actions to identify the opportunities for the construction of the production halls. To motivate the investors who can also become residents to invest into the construction of the halls, the Căușeni District Council assumed to give the land with all the communications built. We mention that the project was included in the South Regional Operational Plan 2017-2020. The total budget of the project is 18.6 million MDL, LPA II being ready, at the time of submitting the project, to come up with an own contribution of 2, 9 million MDL. Currently, the Căușeni District Council has allocated a contribution of 8 million MDL for the construction of utilities, namely: natural gas networks of medium pressure, electrical networks with the transformation station, the aqueduct, sewerage networks. LPA calls for financing for the modernization of the access road and land improvement for industrial constructions in the amount of 10 620 181 MDL. The Regional Development Council South approved the decision to submit the project to the Interministerial Committee for its reassessment, with the possibility of including it in the Single Programming Document for the years 2017-2020 and to give the requested grant in 2017.

Violeta Evtodienco, the head of the Regional Statistical Division within MARDE, presented the Impact Assessment Report of the „Clean Water for the Prut River Basin Communities„ project. The project, implemented in 2011-2012, is relevant and serves as an example for other LPAs in promoting the regionalization of WSS services. Despite the fact that local authorities aimed to gain access to the clean water source for the residents of Manta, Pașcani and Crihana Veche villages, the connection rate to the newly built system is small. The report also contains recommendations that MARDE specialists have submitted to Manta and Crihana Veche. At the same time, local governments will identify solutions for the creation of a centralized sewerage system.

After the meeting agenda was exhausted, members of the RDC South visited the Căușeni Youth and Sports Center, built within a large-scale project implemented by RDA South from the sources of the National Regional Development Fund.