Moldova Government and CALM to Hold Quarterly Talks on Local Reform

Vasile Tofan and CALM: ‘synchronising watches’ on local government reform

A joint commission comprising representatives of the government and the Congress of Local Authorities in Moldova (CALM) will meet quarterly. The parties reached this decision at the advisory body’s most recent meeting.

Viorel Furdui

Add Logos Press as a preferred source on Google

Commission members also discussed issues relating to the amalgamation of local administrations, local budgets and the salaries of local council staff. The discussion centred broadly on the progress of the administrative-territorial reform, financial decentralisation and attracting European investment.

Vasile Tofan, Prime Minister of Moldova, advocated holding commission meetings once a quarter and outlined his position on the creation of larger municipalities with sufficient resources to modernise their communities.

The position of the mayors’ association

For his part, Viorel Furdui, Executive Director of CALM, called for the phased implementation of the regulatory and legal merger of local authorities, the incorporation of CALM’s proposals into legislation passed by Parliament, and the provision of access to funding for unmerged settlements.

Nicolae Dandish, mayor of Cahul and vice-chair of CALM, emphasised that this Commission is a vital instrument for decentralisation and cooperation. In this context, Nina Cherețeu, mayor of Drochia and vice-chair of CALM, highlighted the need for genuine consultation with mayors, who are responsible for implementing the decisions of central authorities in practice.

Meanwhile, Marcel Bobeiță, mayor of the Gangura commune (Ialoveni) and vice-president of CALM, warned of the risk of a reduction in local revenue due to the 2027 fiscal and tax policy and called for compensatory measures to be adopted.

Catalina Scorteascu, a CALM expert, pointed out that the amendments made to the Wages Act (reduction of allowances and pay grades) negate any pay rises for local authority staff, particularly in the context of rising prices.

Leonid Boaghi, mayor of the village of Sirț (Strășeni) and vice-president of CALM, once again highlighted the authorities’ promise to establish a state fund to co-finance European projects in order to promote investment.

How did this story make you feel?