About 790 mayoralties involved in voluntary amalgamation process in Moldova

The number of mayoralties ruling to consolidate their efforts to ensure the efficient development of localities and provide better services for citizens is continuously increasing. Around 790 mayoralties of the country are involved in the voluntary amalgamation process. Secretary General of the Government Alexei Buzu today presented updated information to this effect.

“Day by day, we work with local elected officials, with mayors, with communities. We have 790 mayoralties involved in the process. Some mayoralties are at a more advanced stage in this unification process. Tomorrow, I will be in Anenii Noi, at the Roscani mayor’s office, which will approve the final decision to unite with two other mayoralties, Telita and Calfa. The new mayoralty will benefit from 12 million lei for investments in services and infrastructure. On Monday I was there and spoke with the mayors and local elected officials from 17 mayoralties in Calarasi, which are uniting into a stronger mayoralty. Citizens of the new mayoralty will benefit from 145 million lei. We are working intensively. I am sure that the number of mayoralties involved in this unification effort will increase. The government and the State Chancellery stand by them. We will work shoulder to shoulder. We have strong mayors. Let’s give them strong mayoralties,” said Alexei Buzu.

Alexei Buzu specified that mayoralties still had time until the end of July to approve decisions to join the voluntary amalgamation process, and the communities that will go through this process will receive development incentives from the government.

“By the end of next July, a decision is needed for the mayoralties to unite, but the process itself will be facilitated, including by the government, until the 2027 local elections. We have a year and a half ahead to prepare this entire process. This is a stage. After the unification decisions, the mayoralties, in the format in which they are now, will continue to operate until the 2027 local elections,” explained Alexei Buzu.

In late last January, the government officially announced the launch of the process of preparing the local public administration reform, as part of efforts to modernize administration and improve the quality of public services provided to the population. Subsequently, broad consultations on the reform followed with all interested parties, at the end of which the government presented the reform concept.

According to amendments recently approved by parliament, the process of voluntary amalgamation of administrative and territorial units will be simplified and improved as an essential part of the local public administration reform. The amendments were drafted following an extensive public consultation process, in which over 4,500 mayors and citizens participated.