Nine of the 32 regional development projects initiated in 2011, with financing from the National Regional Development Fund, have been completed. The data were made public by the chairman of the Audit Office Serafim Urecheanu when presenting the audit report on the work of the Fund and the regional development agencies, Info-Prim Neo reports. The total value of the 32 projects is 283 million lei. The projects are aimed at improving the state of roads, the sewerage and water supply, and the management of household waste, at developing the business infrastructure in the country’s regions, etc. Valentina Madan, head of the Audit Office’s Performance Audit Division, said the partnership relations have been developed insufficiently. The responsibilities weren’t delimited clearly. There were cases when the co-financing for the projects was allocated with delay and, as a result, the facilities were put into operation later than planned. The money was transferred with delay mainly by beneficiary mayor’s offices. Some of the public authorities refuse to transfer certain facilities to the local companies, as in the case of the water treatment station in Calarasi, which was built at a cost of over 20 million lei. Minister of Regional Development and Construction Marcel Raducan underlined that the implementation of the local projects was hindered by problems related to the cooperation between local councilors and mayors and by the replacement of the local elected officials after the elections of 2011. “We had to instruct the new local office holders and to convince them that such projects are necessary. But the poor quality of the regional development projects presented by the local public authorities remains a problem. Another problem is the fact that the governmental institutions with development funds that co-participate in these projects do not honor their financial obligations. We didn’t yet manage to obtain synergy,” he stated. Marcel Raducan also said that they are now working out the second common program document, for 2013-2015. It includes 61 regional development projects. Tender contests have been held for 11 projects. The works will start when the weather grows warmer.