Representatives of Regional Development Agencies from the Republic of Moldova met on Thursday, 5 July at Centre RDA to discuss the need of changing the regional development paradigm. As a result of experience gained in the course of over ten years of work, the representatives of the agencies raised a number of identified issues and proposed scenarios for a better development of the given field.
The discussions were guided by international and national experts who provide support to MARDE in the development of a new paradigm of regional development focused on economic boosting and increasing of regions’ competitiveness.
Viorel Jardan, director of Centre RDA mentioned the importance of reshaping the current framework of regional development and creating an efficient and working mechanism in all the activities carried out by all institutions engaged in the regional development process.
Maria Culesov, director of South RDA spoke about the internal architecture of a regional development agency and procedures taking place in the implementation of concrete projects.
Also, the role of the most important decision-making structure at regional level – Regional Development Council (RDC) – was discussed. From the operational point of view, RDC remains a burdensome structure posing problems of reaching the quorum and not being able to sufficiently harmonise the interests of actors involved in the process.
Another subject discussed referred to the development of a concept of proposal for urban development public policy in the Republic of Moldova. The objective of the new policy lies in the development of a network of growth poles/functional urban areas in the Republic of Moldova attractive for inhabitants, investors and tourists.
International experts Sorin Maxin and Adrian Mariciuc highlighted the importance of new solutions, more efficient for regional development institutional frameworks which shall take into account the best international practices and lessons learned, as well as environment, social and gender related aspects.
The experts’ assistance in developing the urban development policy and the new concept of new paradigm of regional development based on competitiveness and economic development is possible due to the support provided via the ‘Modernization of Local Public Services in the Republic of Moldova’ project, implemented by the German Development Cooperation through GIZ.
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The project ‘Modernization of Local Public Services in the Republic of Moldova’ (MLPS) is implemented by the German Development Cooperation through GIZ in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment and is financially supported by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union, the Romanian Government, the Swedish Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
