Capacities of tourism service providers and local authorities from Soroca and Iampol will be strengthened in a cross-border project, implemented with the financial support of the European Union.

The project "Rural tourism - a sure step to increase the cross-border cooperation between Soroca and Iampol" is implemented by IDIS "Viitorul", in partnership with the Soroca District Council and the Council of Iampol (Ukraine) and has a duration of 18 months.

The partnership agreement was concluded on 1 February in a solemn ceremony of signing of 16 contracts under the Territorial Cooperation Programme Moldova - Ukraine. Projects are distributed between the three priorities identified by the programme, namely: improving the living conditions of local communities, addressing common crossborder challenges, education, culture and sport.

"Through the project, we hope for a constructive cooperation between local authorities and business in rural tourism from Soroca and Iampol. IDIS experts will develop useful tools and mechanisms for service providers in rural tourism which will facilitate the economic growth and the attractiveness of regions", said Project manager Liubomir Chiriac.

The cross-border project includes a series of training, study visits to tourist pensions, a Guide for tourism providers, four festivals, a tourist map, video clips and even a documentary that will highlight the tourism assets of Soroca and Iampol.

"The project will enable tourism service providers to learn to manage their work properly. However, the project will allow the exploitation of the tourism potential, craftsmen will make themselves known and we will remember the traditions", says Stela Zabrian, Soroca District Council Secretary, and partner of the cross- border initiative.

Partners of the territorial cooperation - local authorities, communities and civil society organizations from throughout the country and eligible regions of Ukraine (Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, and Odessa) participated in the procedure of requests for proposals to tackle the common development of their countries. The overall amount made available by the EU under the Moldova-Ukraine Programme is 3.3 million EUR.

"These projects will help develop joint solutions to common social and economic development challenges. They will also contribute to strengthening the cross-border contact between local authorities, communities and civil society organizations, and consequently develop closer ties between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine", mentioned Aneil Singh, Head of Cooperation at EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova.

The Eastern Partnership Territorial Cooperation Support Programme’s (EaPTC Support Programme) goal is to create a favorable environment for territorial cooperation programmes along the borders of Moldova – Ukraine, Armenia – Georgia, Azerbaijan – Georgia and Belarus – Ukraine with due regard to specifics of each border area. It is as well aimed at strengthening the capacity of local and regional state and non-state actors to jointly develop and implement cross-border projects. The overall EU contribution to EaPTC is 12.5 million EUR.

For more information contact Ana – Maria Veverita: ana.veverita@viitorul.org or 022 22 18 44.

The European Union continues to be the leader of Moldova's development partners, offering to our country, since 2007, over 840 million euro as grants. Among beneficiaries of European resources are local authorities, who managed to implement successful projects. While some municipalities are building new kindergartens and high schools heated with biomass, other connect people to modern water supply systems, create new jobs and develop road infrastructure.

Learn from the latest edition of the newsletter "Budgets without secrets" (No.3, January issue), which cities have obtained most grants in 2015.

Inside this edition:
INVESTMENT: Million grants for towns in Moldova
INTERVIEW: Grigorii Robu, Nisporeni Mayor: "What authorities believe that it is good and what people really want are different things"
ANALYZE: The impact of fiscal policy on local budgets
BUDGET: Higher spending for “bureaucracy”
CORRUPTION: Bribes or challenge?
PROCUREMENT: Monopoly + discretion - transparency = corruption
DIGITS: Surviving budgets
REFORM: Decentralization strategy with laws that violate local autonomy
VIEWS: http://www.localbudgets.viitorul.org - useful information, rankings and comparisons

More information you can find in the Newsletter (available only in Romanian)

The publication aims to make transparent the activity of local public authorities in Moldova by promoting transparency and financial accountability.

The Newsletter is produced within the project “Transparent, financially sound and competitive municipalities in Moldova” which is implemented by the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO) in partnership with IDIS “Viitorul”, with the support of the SlovakAid and the US Embassy to Moldova. The project aims to increase the financial accountability of local governments in 50 municipalities throughout Moldova.

Between September and December 2016 more than 600 local governments in 25 districts of the country have learned how to prevent corruption risks. The trainings were offered by IDIS Viitorul experts, Diana Enachi and Valentin Lozovanu, together with the National Anti-Corruption Center (CNA) representatives, within a project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.

The local authorities were familiar with the laws of integrity and anti-corruption measures. Moreover, participants learned how to develop an integrity plan and how to fill the corruption risks registry.

"The activity was aimed at training local authorities in applying corruption risk management, which, not treated in time, affect the transparency of the decision-making process, quality of public services provided and, ultimately, the quality of governance at the local level”, explained Diana Enachi, IDIS Viitorul expert.

Fighting corruption is a vital area for local government. "It's a new field of activity and importance of these trainings facilitates the work of employees in this field by saving time in carrying out the activities that lately, are not few”, said Tatiana Beschieru, Head of the Section of Public Administration, Nisporeni District Council.

Valentin Lozovanu said that the implementation of anti-corruption measures is an important element for the progress of Moldova in combating the scourge. However, the local authorities are those who can contribute to the decisions they take.

According to the National Anti-corruption Strategy, local councils develop and approve anti-corruption strategies and action plans at the local level, starting from forms of corruption spread in the community.

Trainings were attended by over 600 people, secretaries of local councils, mayors, deputy mayors and responsible for documenting corruption risk, development risk registers and planning activities for their removal.