United States to back development projects in more settlements of Moldova

Chisinau, 10 July /MOLDPRES/ – The U.S. Government funding projects provide real support for development of rural and regional communities, and creating better living conditions also entails foreign investment in the area. This conclusion came to authorities of several localities in Moldova which, together with U.S. Ambassador to Moldova, Dereck J. Hogan, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Brock Bierman, have recently evaluated several development projects.

In this context, it was appreciated the construction of wastewater treatment plant in Telenesti city. The structure has a number of benefits for citizens, including environmental benefits, opportunities for social institutions to develop, and favourable terms for economic agents that have managed to create new jobs for rural citizens.

"For several years, U.S. Government has provided support for development of Moldova, but this state has a great economic potential and a project of such magnitude as wastewater treatment plant in Telenesti contributes to development of agriculture performance, with more fertile soil. Given the close cooperation we have with mayors in several regions, we consider the possibility of building such stations in other parts of the country in order to consolidate the results achieved so far," said U.S. Ambassador to Chisinau, Dereck J. Hogan.

At his turn, assistant of USAID administrator for Europe and Eurasia, Brock Bierman, has revealed that the wastewater treatment plant in Telenesti is "an extremely vital investment because it helps not only the local community but it also helps to attract investments in the sector. "Such projects show that the localities enjoy support and the way of cooperation with mayors from the regions provides us with the right circumstances to solve the existing problems. The water treatment station of Telenesti is an example to be followed and shows us how as well as other mayors should implement different projects and strengthen the partnership between localities of the USA and Moldova," said Brock Bierman.

The wastewater treatment plant in Telenesti was inaugurated in 2017, including USAID support. The facility has a capacity of 700 m3/day and it offers modern waste water treatment services to over 11,000 citizens (Telenesti city, villages Mihalasa, Mihalasa Noua and Inesti). Within the project, there were built 03 water pumping stations and the local sewer network was rehabilitated and extended by 18 km. Totally, the project cost $1.5 million, out of which USAID co – financing amounted up to $500,000. The benefits of sewage treatment plant are not only for citizens but also for economic agents in the area. Starting 2018, the number of beneficiaries was expanded after a garment factory (Turkish investment), which created over 100 new jobs, was connected to the local sewer network.

Also, U.S. officials discussed with local public authorities (APL) about the possibility of construction of sewage treatment plants in localities Straseni, Ungheni and Comrat.

"Sewage treatment is a regional problem, not just a local one. For instance, with regard to water treatment plant in Ungheni, we have a big problem. It is situated on the bank of the Prut river, 15 kilometers away, and it is in an advanced state of deterioration. If we do not take emergency measures, we can find that a city with 40,000 inhabitants will not be able to evacuate the wastewater. The big problem is that the station is far from the city, the water treatment costs are very high, and the old pipes can not be changed. The cost of a sewage plant at the capacity of about 7,000 m3/day is €10 – €12 million. It is a huge sum that we can not afford," said mayor of Ungheni city, Alexandru Ambros.

Thus, through project Comunitatea mea, the U.S. Agency for International Development aims to provide assistance to over 100 communities in Moldova and support APL in their efforts to ensure effective, transparent and responsible governance towards citizens. The support provided by USAID will include implementation of innovative tools designed to make municipalities more efficient, implementing infrastructure projects that will improve the lives of citizens.