VIDEO // Voluntary amalgamation process to end on July 31

The voluntary amalgamation process will end on July 31, and afterwards, starting from August, the Government will launch the process of normative amalgamation. In the voluntary stage, localities can decide on their own with whom they merge, how they organize their administration, and what their priorities are, while the Government supports communities with development incentives.

Secretary General of the Government Alexei Buzu urged local elected officials to make full use of the remaining period until the end of July to finalize discussions and make responsible decisions in the interest of the communities they represent. According to the official, for mayoralties with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants, amalgamation will become mandatory.

“The voluntary amalgamation process ends on July 31. In August, the Government will begin the process of normative amalgamation. For mayoralties with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants, amalgamation will become mandatory. That is why we encourage local elected officials to make use of this voluntary stage and to make responsible decisions in the interest of the communities they represent. It is time to find common ground, to finalize discussions, and to make responsible decisions for the future of our localities. Now, localities can decide on their own with whom they merge, how they organize their administration, and what their investment priorities are,” said Alexei Buzu.

The official emphasized that, in the voluntary stage, the Government provides financial support of 3,000 lei for each resident of the merged mayoralty, resources for infrastructure projects, up to 1 million lei for preparing the amalgamation process, and annual support for the local budget for three years.

“These resources are available within the voluntary amalgamation stage. Therefore, a decision taken now gives the community more freedom and more control over the projects that can be implemented, whether we are talking about modernizing roads, water supply systems, kindergartens, schools, or other public services,” explained the Secretary General of the Government.

Alexei Buzu reiterated that amalgamation does not erase the identity of the village or town, and the name of the locality, its traditions, and community remain. At the same time, public service centers will operate in the localities, and each community will have representation in the new administrative structure.

“We encourage you to discuss openly within the community, to ask for information, and to make this decision responsibly by July 31. This is an opportunity through which communities can decide their own future and benefit from the support provided at this stage of the reform,” concluded Alexei Buzu.

According to the latest information presented by the authorities, 773 mayoralties in the Republic of Moldova have officially initiated voluntary amalgamation procedures, in an effort to reconfigure and strengthen local public administration. Of these, 112 localities have already chosen to merge their administrative structures around 24 rational centers.

Speaker Igor Grosu conveyed a message on Tuesday in the context of the local public administration reform, in which he underlined the need to consolidate efforts to continue implementing the reform efficiently, in order to build “more efficient local administration and better public services”.

At the end of January, the Government announced the launch of the process of preparing the local public administration reform, as part of efforts to modernize administration and improve public services. Subsequently, the authorities organized extensive public consultations, after which the reform concept was presented. Recently, Parliament approved legislative amendments that simplify and improve the process of voluntary amalgamation of administrative-territorial units.

According to the authorities, the changes were drafted following consultations involving more than 4,500 mayors and citizens. At present, more than 400 decisions to initiate the voluntary amalgamation process have been approved at the national level.