Moldovan acting premier chairs meeting of Council of Observers of Millennium Challenge Account Moldova

Chisinau, 3 December /MOLDPRES/ - The Council of Observers (CO) of the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova (FPM Moldova), led by acting Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega, today approved a working plan of the Sustainable Development Fund Moldova (FDDM), to further back the agricultural sector. FDDM will replace FPM Moldova, - an entity which enforced the Compact Programme of the U.S. Government, the government's communication and media relations department has reported.     

In the beginning of the meeting, acting Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega thanked the American nation, U.S. Government and Embassy for the support provided to Moldova to develop the country's economy. Also, Brega gave assurances to U.S. partners that the government undertook actions, including by involvement of European experts, to diminish the corruption phenomenon, so that Moldova be able to benefit from a new Compact Programme. 

Representatives of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Chris Williams, said that the 262-million-dollar-worth Compact Programme had been successfully implemented due to a full involvement of the government, civil society the FPM Moldova team. "It is important that the sustainability of the Compact investments be ensured by continuing assistance in the programme's intervention programmes," Chris Williams also said. 

At the today's meeting, the Council of Observers approved the investments budget worth 7.5 million dollars for 2016-2017. The money is meant to continue restoring irrigation systems, improving the water resources management, as well as facilitating access to finance for the agricultural sector.

The FPM Moldova executive director, Valentina Badrajan, said that, in the next two years, depending on the available means, works on restoration of two additional modules of the Chircani-Zirnesti irrigation system would be initiated. This will allow extending irrigated areas by about 300 hectares and rehabilitating the drainage system within the Cahul irrigation system. At the same time, actions are scheduled to manage the supervision on the period of notifying defects for ten irrigation systems restored within the Compact Programme.  

Also, in 2016-2017, competent authorities are to initiate consultations with development partners and other interested factors from Moldova to create a platform of donors' community in the access to financing sector. In this context, the concept of "single pay desk" will be developed for farmers intending to borrow loans.

At the same time, the reorganised institution is to provide assistance to the Apele Moldovei (Moldova's Waters) Agency, so that the latter may give the needed support to the Environment Ministry, Association of Irrigation Water Users, as well as to other institutions involved in promoting reforms of policies in the water resources management area.

At the today's meeting, the CO members  approved transfer of assets renovated or constructed within the Compact Programme.  It is about local roads of access to social institutions, systems of illuminating placed along the Sarateni-Soroca highway, as well as the built bridges and restored irrigation systems.  

(Editor A. Raileanu)