CONGRESS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES FROM

MOLDOVA
Columna str. 106A, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova (secretariat)
ph. 22-35-09, fax 22-35-29, mob. 079588547,
info@calm.md, www.calm.md

INPUTS TO NALAS DIGEST

Reforms in education and the role of local public administration
on CALMs Agenda

On 26 November 2014 Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) and the
Institute for Public Policy (IPP) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, held an
information and training session on "Reforms in education and the role of local
government, which was attended by over 60 mayors.
With a welcome speech to the participants came Mrs Tatiana Badan, CALMs
President and Mr Ion Grosu - Deputy Minister of Education. During the event, local
authorities were informed about the directions, necessity, objectives and
peculiarities of education reform, developments and the role of local governments
regarding education under the new Education Code which recently entered into
force. Particularly, the events agenda included the following topics:
1. The main directions and arguments in favour of the education reform and the
current system of division of powers between different levels of government in
education, stated by the new Education Code.
2. The role, powers and responsibilities of LPA of first and second level set by the
new
Education
Code.
3. Financing of education institutions based on performance and needs.
4. LPA communication with media and citizens in its work: the place, the
importance, the forms and methods.
In turn, LPA representatives had the opportunity to discuss and ask questions to
policy makers and experts in education, on problems arising from the
implementation of education reform. Especially were mentioned a lot of problems
and uncertainties related to the provisions of the new code of education referring to
LPA competences, funding preschool institutions, property management of
educational institutions, school founder and its role in the administration of
educational institutions, relations between the LPA of first level, educational
institutions and other levels of government, etc.
One of the conclusions reached by the participants of this event was the importance
and necessity of a permanent and institutionalized dialogue between CALM, as LPA
representative, and central authorities in designing and implementing such reforms
in all fields, including education. The lack of such a dialogue and inappropriate
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involvement and not taking into consideration of the LPA opinion lead to various
problems and affect proper implementation of reforms.

CALM started the creation of Local Councils Secretaries

Network

In November 2014 Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) initiated the
creation within CALM of the Local Councils Secretaries Network, which is a
professional platform for communication, visibility and needs identification of
capacity building for local councils secretaries.
The objectives of the platform are to:
1. Facilitate experience exchange between secretaries of local councils from
Republic of Moldova.
2. Identify the needs for capacity building and finding solutions to professional
issues with which local councils secretaries are confronting in their daily work.
3. Encourage secretaries to create formal and informal platform for discussion
among colleagues and transfer of best practices.
4. Empowerment encouraging experienced secretaries to candidate for mayors
positions at the next local elections (which will take place in June 2015).
Initiation of the platform started with a series or regional roundtables, so far 4 took
place, comprising about 30 participants at each roundtable, having the target to
cover all 898 local councils secretaries from Republic of Moldova.
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Considering the fact that in Republic of Moldova 90% of local council secretaries are
women and only 10% are men, CALM is continuing its activity regarding gender
mainstreaming and womens empowerment, that started with the creation of the
CALMs Women Mayors Network. Setting up the Local Councils Secretaries Network
is the next stage of promoting gender equality and gender mainstreaming in local
public administration in Republic of Moldova that CALM assumed from its very
creation.

Soldanesti and Rezina districts have a modern service for

separate waste collection

On 25 November 2014 was launched the separate waste collection service, from
which will benefit over 45,000 people in 27 municipalities of Soldanesti and Rezina
CALM members districts. The service was created within a pilot project supported by
the German Government and implemented by Centre Regional Development
Agency (RDA). The German Government has given financial and technical support
through the project of the German Development Cooperation through GIZ
Modernization of local public services in the Republic of Moldova'.
The launch event was attended by over 200 people, including representatives of
national, regional and local authorities. In their speeches, the guests stressed the
importance of the fact that all citizens should benefit from quality public services,
on the one hand, and to be responsible and careful with the environment, on the
other hand.

Without the initiative of local authorities, such a project would not have been
possible. I'm sure that people are aware and shall be responsible to the newly
created service. (Iurie Leanca, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova).
This project is generating optimism and energy, as it has an impact on people,
health and a cleaner environment. However, it's impressive how neighbouring
municipalities cooperate with each other (Ulrike Maria Knotz, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to the
Republic of Moldova).
It is a regional development project that started at the initiative of local
authorities. This is an ambitious project which deserves to be replicated in other
communities. (Valerian Binzaru, head of the General Directorate of Regional
Development within the Ministry of Regional Development and Constructions).
The inhabitants of Soldanesti and Rezina districts will collect waste on 4 categories
and place them in respective containers: paper, glass, metal-plastic-tetrapak and
residual waste. Now, citizens are informed about the benefits of separate collection
of waste, but also the responsibility to pay bills on time for this public service.
Communication campaign, entitled For health and a cleaner environment, collect
waste separately requires, in addition to the distribution of promotional materials,
sanitation activities, public lectures, drawing competitions for students.
However, the campaign envisages advisory for local citizens committees created in
the involved municipalities, which ensure the smooth running of the waste
management project. Committees are groups of initiative, who voluntarily engage in
community mobilization to collect waste separately and punctually pay the fee for
public service.
The monthly cost of this service is 8 lei per person for villagers and 10 lei per
person for urban residents. Tariff for public institutions and businesses will be 150
lei/month for a cubic meter of waste. In urban areas the waste collection will be
done 3 times a week and in the rural area once a week by garbage trucks.
The service is managed by the Joint Stock Company Sanitation oldneti created
under the pilot project.
It is to be built an Inter-municipal Solid Waste Management Centre in Parcani
municipality of oldneti district, two recycling centres in Floreti and oldneti
and two transfer stations in Cotiujenii Mari and Floresti. At this stage, 259 platforms
were built and were purchased and placed containers with distinctive labels. There
were also procured specialized machines: equipment for recycling, compaction,
bulldozers, and tractors.
Due to the fact that the construction of the modern landfill will be completed only at
the end of 2015, three landfills (around. oldneti town, Cumirca village and
Rspopeni village) were designed to serve as temporary landfill for a period of 2
years (2014-2015). The other dumpsites in the localities are to be closed.
Sorting and baling station will be set up temporarily in oldneti town, and then
transferred to the Inter-municipal solid waste management Centre, once the
completion of its construction.

The total budget of the pilot project of solid waste management in Soldanesti and
Rezina districts is over EUR 2.2 million from the Government of Germany. oldneti
district council contributed with EUR 10.750.
On 21 August 2014, oldneti district council approved the solid waste
management component for 2014-2019 of the Socio-economic development
Strategy of the district - developed with the support of Centre RDA and GIZ.
GIZ Moldova supports a similar pilot project in Floreti district, where is to be
created a joint stock company.
The project Modernization of local public services in the Republic of Moldova is
financially supported by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
(Sida), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the European Union.