Moldovan settlements will be able to strengthen their administrative capacity through voluntary unification.
This is stipulated in the draft law on voluntary unification of administrative-territorial units, passed by the Parliament in the second reading. The law aims at creating the necessary normative framework for the voluntary unification of the first-level administrative-territorial units in order to strengthen the administrative capacity of the local public administration authorities and to provide quality and accessible services to the population. The document envisages the voluntary unification of two or more first-level administrative-territorial units (villages/communes and cities/municipalities), based on the decisions of local councils, in compliance with certain conditions, principles and procedures. Thus, the basic conditions of voluntary unification stipulate that the territory of the united administrative-territorial unit must be continuous, its population must be at least 3,000 inhabitants, and the distance from the administrative center to any part of the settlement must not exceed 25 km. Among the criteria for selecting the administrative center of united settlements are: demographic data (with the largest number of residents), financial solvency per inhabitant, and the ability to provide public services. The process of voluntary unification can be initiated on the basis of decisions of the local councils of the first level administrative-territorial unit, adopted by a majority vote of the elected councilors, on the proposal of the mayor, 1/3 of the elected councilors, or 10% of the number of citizens entitled to vote residing in the respective unit. The central public administration authorities will provide information, organizational and methodological support for the voluntary unification of the administrative-territorial units. The state will also provide financial support to the localities that decide to unite. The support includes allocations from the state budget for infrastructure development, replenishment of local budgets for seven years, as well as other financial incentives. The draft law on voluntary unification of administrative-territorial units was elaborated by the State Chancellery in cooperation with development partners and fits into the Strategy of Public Administration Reform for 2023-2030. //01.08.2023 - InfoMarket.
