Moldovan government, mayors have joint meeting

Chisinau, 22 January /MOLDPRES/ - The mayors and deputy mayors from Moldova’s settlements today assembled at a joint meeting of the leaders from the local public administration and the cabinet members, chaired by Prime Minister Ion Chicu. “This is a starting point for establishing a constructive dialogue between the local public authorities and the central ones,” the PM said.   

“The government is aware that, without a joining of the efforts of these two levels of public administration, the things cannot change for the better. If we together focus on the solving of the citizens’ problems and if we also exclude politics from our cooperation, the things will necessarily change for the better,” the prime minister noted.  

According to Ion Chicu, the problems faced by the government and the mayors are many and have been accumulated for tens of years. ”Now, it is only up to us to what extent we approach them, how we settle them. We are at the beginning of the mandates and the country’s citizens expect firm actions from us,” the prime minister stressed.   

The PM also said that, following a meeting with the district heads, he had managed to establish an efficient cooperation, relying on the fact that the same thing would happen also with the mayors, as ‘the mayors know the situation in the territory, problems and needs of the citizens best of all.” ”The communication with the mayors make us more connected to the people’s necessities and help us come up together with policies which would change the things for the better in the country,” Chicu specified.

At the meeting, each ministry and institution with activity sectors posing major interest for the settlements came with updated information. Thus, decision-makers unveiled to mayors the national development strategies for roads’ construction, waste management, water and sewerage supply, public illumination, energy efficiency, social assistance, environmental protection, etc. They also presented to mayors reports on the amendments to the law on salary payment, situation of public properties, subsidization in agriculture, etc.    

In the context, Ion Chicu said that each cabinet member, each minister and agency head ”is at the disposal of the local authorities day and night,” ready to apply the experience and knowledge to improve the situation in Moldova’s settlements. ”I want us to have an open and permanent dialogue between the government and the mayors,” the prime minister said.  

The meeting ended with a question and answer session; yet, the rich agenda did not allow all mayors to put questions they had prepared; therefore the PM gave assurances that such meetings would be held periodically, so that the wishes and proposals of each mayor be heard in due time.