The Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Aleksandar Martinović, PhD, has signed today with the representatives of Loznica, Leskovac and Mali Zvornik the Agreements on the allocation of more than CHF 82,000 from the Fund for Functional-Organizational Models, in order to further modernize the work of selected local self-governments. The signing ceremony of the Agreement in Mali Zvornik was also attended by the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Serbia, Urs Schmid.
Emphasizing that the Fund was established two years ago as part of the Project “Local Self-Government for the 21st Century”, which MDULS is implementing with the support of the Swiss Cooperation Office, Martinović has said that the Swiss Government is one of the most important partners in the Ministry’s mission to modernize municipalities and cities. strengthen their capacities, ensure better functioning, work and business, as well as optimal use of resources, all for the sake of better provision of services to citizens and the economy at the local level.
Expressing his satisfaction that the Agreements on the implementation of functional-organizational models were signed in the municipality where the last session of the Government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was held in 1941 – at the Underground City of Karađorđević Dynasty, the minister has emphasized that with today’s signing, another step was taken towards the implementation of Public Administration Reform and bringing it closer to the citizens at the local level.
“The Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government invests in constant innovation of services, application of modern tools and improving the relationship between the administration and the beneficiaries. In this cycle, we are awarding more than CHF 82.000 for the reorganization and improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the work of municipal and city administrations in Loznica, Leskovac, Mali Zvornik and Raška. I am convinced that thanks to the implementation of this model, the selected local self-governments will be even more effective in fulfilling their tasks, among which the most important is a quick and adequate response to the demands and needs of the citizens,” Martinović has pointed out and expressed his gratitude to the Swiss Government for all the support it provides to our country.
The President of the Municipality of Mali Zvornik, Zoran Jevtić, has said that by signing the aforementioned Agreement, a new major step was taken towards further improvement of the functioning of local self-government, and thanked the Republic of Serbia, the competent ministry and the donor for all their joint efforts in terms of Public Administration Reform at the local level.
Recalling that the goal of the project is to provide a more modern concept of service provision, Jevtić has stated that, for the indicated purposes, a total of CHF 16,900 were allocated to the municipality for the purchase of necessary equipment and the provision of adequate professional support.
“In order to identify possible shortcomings in the functioning of local self-government and propose appropriate solutions, we shall analyse each segment and, based on that, define the needs, i.e. the necessary changes in the way of working, staffing system or organizational structure”, Jevtić has said and added that the Municipality of Mali Zvornik, in respect of good governance, already has numerous notable results, and that it is 1st in the Mačva Administrative District, and 14th in the ranking list of the Local eGovernment Index.
The Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Serbia, Urs Schmid, has stated that for many years, local self-government in Serbia has been in the focus of support from the Swiss Government, which, in cooperation with MDULS and SCTM, implements initiatives aimed at improving the work of local administration, i.e. providing better services to citizens and the economy. As he has stated, through joint forces, they have supported, inter alia, the establishment of inter-municipal cooperation, stronger participation of citizens in decision-making, social inclusion of vulnerable groups and improvement of gender equality, as well as Property Tax Reform and the establishment and more efficient functioning of eGovernment.
“Local self-government will continue to be the focus of the programme of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Serbia, because cities and municipalities are the key bearers of economic development and reform processes. With joint efforts, we shall continue to improve the daily life of the citizens of Serbia”, Ambassador Schmid has stressed and congratulated the representatives of Leskovac, Loznica, Mali Zvornik and Raška for becoming part of this important initiative.
As a reminder, the Fund for Functional-Organizational Models, as part of the Project “Local Self-Government for the 21st Century”, was established in cooperation with the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities. In the first cycle, with nearly CHF 50,000, four projects were supported in the Municipalities of Golubac, Knjaževac and Bela Palanka and the City of Novi Pazar.