EVENTS
Study tour in Poland
The repre-sentatives of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia and the Centre for Effective Governance System and Territorial Arrangement Reform (CEGSTAR) visited Poland for the study tour.
On 8-12th of June, based on the invitation form Public Policy and Management Institute (Lithuania), three secretaries of Task Force for Regional Development in Georgia and the Director of the Centre for Effective Governance and Territorial Arrangement Reform have visited Lithuania. The purpose of the working visit was to get the support from Lithuanian side while elaborating the Strategy for Regional Development in Georgia and share the experience of the host country in this direction.
During the first day of the visit, on 8th of June meeting was held with Mr Regimantas ČIUPAILA the Minister of Internal Affairs. The mentioned ministry is supervising the issues of regional development and defines the main directions of policy in Lithuania. During the meeting the issues of regional development in Lithuania, problems of administration-territorial arrangement reforms and the challenges caused by the economic crisis were discussed.
On 9th of June meeting was held with Mr. Sergejus KRIŠPINOVIČIUS, Director, Department of Regional Politics, Ministry of Internal Affairs. During the meeting was discussed the issue of decision making mechanism by the Institutes of Regional Policy. Georgian Delegation also expressed interest in the role of EU structural funds in the development of regions and in the mechanism of its distribution. The issue of the meeting was also the functions of the ministry and coordination of relationship between separate municipalities.
On 10th of June Georgian Delegation has arranged meeting in the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. The meeting was attended by the heads of different departments of the ministry. During the meeting the issues of social security and management, also the distribution of powers between central and local authorities were considered. The Secretaries expressed their interest in the methodologies of financing social security, also in the mechanisms of calculation the index of unemployment and poverty and the criteria of support.
The same day meeting was held with Ms. Roma ŽAKAITIENĖ, Head of Local Self Governance Association. The topic of the meeting was the mechanisms of solving the actual issues of regions and municipalities, income resources of local budgets, forms of financing the education and etc.
On 11th of June Georgian delegation visited Šiauliai County, where the meeting was held with Mr. Rimundas DOMARKAS, Governor of the region and with Ms. Dalia DIJOKAITĖ, Head of Šiauliai Region Development Department. During the meeting the issue of influence of regional policy on the development of the regions and the problems of different municipalities in the regions were discussed. After the meeting Georgian party has answered to the questions of the journalists. The meeting was also broadcasted through two regional televisions.
The same day meeting was held with Mr. Genadijus MIKŠYS, Mayor of the Šiauliai County, also with the Chairman of the city council and the heads of different departments. The topic of the meeting was peculiarities of the regional policy. The Secretaries of the working groups have expressed their interest in the changes of local social expenses, in the forms of relationship of Mayors Office and members of the Council with electors, also in the role of municipalities in the elaboration of country regional development strategy.
On 12th of June Georgian delegation has arranged conclusive meeting in the Institute of Public Policy and Management. The meeting was attended by Mr. Haroldas BROŽAITIS, Director of the Institute, Mr. Regimantas ČIUPAILA, Advisor of the Minister for Regional Development and Mr. Marius ABLACINSKAS. During the summing up of the meeting the issues were raised that in the opinion of Georgian experts needed additional revision, as are the schemes of financing the regions, effective methods of equalisation transfers, elaboration and implementation of social standards, improvement of regional development planning, problems of development the infrastructure, waste management in the regions, mechanisms of development evaluation in the regions, creation of growth centers in the regions and etc.
The Institute of Public Policy and Management expressed its readiness to provide consultation assistance to Task Force in future. Also the parties have agreed to set up the visit of Lithuanian delegation to Georgia in August that will coincide the final stage of Regional Development Strategy elaboration for Georgia by the Task Force Working Groups.
