Moldova prepares over 20 EU Growth Plan projects, but reforms are needed to access funds
The Republic of Moldova risks losing part of the European funds if it delays implementing the reforms assumed in the Growth Plan financed by the European Union. The warning comes from the president of the Parliamentary Commission for European Integration, Adrian Băluțel, in the context in which our country enters a crucial stage regarding the capitalization of the assistance package.
The Growth Plan of the European Union foresees total investments of 1.9 billion euros. Of these, 477 million euros have already been disbursed, and the authorities are preparing a new portfolio of more than 20 investment projects, through which they hope to attract another 2 billion euros.
To speed up implementation of these major projects, the president of the Parliamentary Commission for European Integration says centralised coordination and more rigorous monitoring are needed.
*"We need to pay more attention to the prioritization of projects, especially large infrastructure projects - road construction, hospital construction, all coordinated centrally. It is a practice that we have seen in Romania, and in Greece, and in many European Union countries which, after accession, when it came to the absorption of European funds, centralized all kinds of small offices that dealt with separate projects and that did not have the ability to raise an issue at the time it gets stuck somewhere. They have centralized, they have created large, powerful institutions that can raise the alarm if a project is held up somewhere. And this leads to an increase in the speed of implementation of these projects that are financed from European sources," explained Adrian Băluțel, on the "Zi de Zi" show on Radio Moldova, the September 30 edition.
According to the official, the main causes of delays in large projects are insufficient preparation of technical documentation and contracting difficulties.
"Usually, it is related to feasibility and pre-feasibility studies. They are complicated technical projects that require extensive preliminary preparation. And, usually, this is a point of restraint", stated Băluțel.
Another problem is the identification of specialized companies for complex works.
"There are constructions or heavy infrastructure elements where the problem of contracting and identifying the companies that would execute them often arises, because there are still cases when, in the Republic of Moldova, we do not have specialised economic agents, for example, in the construction of a hospital. And then an international purchase is needed, which lasts and where the preceding process is, likewise, a very, very complex one", explained Băluțel.
A new office for the implementation of strategic projects
To streamline the implementation of projects, the Government has established a new office for the implementation of strategic projects, which will centralize purchases and contracts, monitor the works and report any irregularities.
The new investment portfolio would include reconstructing national roads, building a highway in the Ungheni area, electrifying the Chisinau-Ungheni railway, developing model schools, and accelerating the construction of regional hospitals in Balti and Cahul.
“It is an objective set out in our Growth Plan, and we must achieve it. By establishing this office, we aim to advance these projects as quickly as possible. Some projects have been delayed because of insufficient government oversight, and that is precisely what we want to prevent. At the same time, delays in approving reforms could lead to restrictions on disbursements,” said the deputy, emphasizing that the reforms are currently progressing at a good pace.
Another tool announced by the authorities is a digital platform through which citizens will be able to follow project progress and how public money is spent. According to Adrian Bălutel, this will provide clear information on the status of the works, sources of financing, purchases, and expenses.
*"Citizens must see the status of the works and at what stage they are, they must see the data on the financing of the project, where the resources are allocated and how they are spent. On this platform we should see what is being built, at what stage the construction is, who is doing it, how much it costs and how this money is managed", pointed out the president of the Parliamentary Commission for European Integration.
We remind you that more than 20 investment projects in infrastructure, energy and digitization, intended to attract more than two billion euros in addition to the 1.9 billion already allocated through the European Union Growth Plan, are currently subject to evaluation according to maturity, degree of preparation and impact, to be presented to European partners.
At the same time, the authorities are working on the fulfillment of the 153 measures included in the Growth Plan, these being mandatory for unlocking European money.
So far, 46 of the 48 actions planned for 2025 and the first semester of 2026 have been implemented, which represents a 95% implementation rate.
