www.mediafax.ro/politic/429-de-localitati-vizate-d

The Minister of Development, Alexandru Stoica, met with representatives of the Association of Communes in Romania to discuss administrative reform. He announced incentives for communes that agree to voluntary amalgamation. The meeting focused on encouraging the association and voluntary merging of 429 targeted localities. A working group will be expanded to establish concrete incentives and protection measures for local administration employees. Stoica emphasized that reform should be built through dialogue, aiming for stronger local administrations with qualified personnel and modern public services. He noted that mandatory amalgamation may be necessary for financially unsustainable localities, but the initial focus will be on voluntary unification through investments and tax benefits.