The Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Aleksandar Martinović, PhD, has met today with the heads and representatives of administrative districts in the Republic of Serbia, including the heads of administrative districts from the territory of AP Kosovo and Metohija.
At the meeting, an exhaustive and constructive discussion was held on the challenges that the heads of administrative districts face in their work, with presentation of concrete proposals for overcoming such challenges within the existing provisions of the law and by-laws, while the possibilities for strengthening the role of administrative districts in the Republic of Serbia were considered.
Minister Martinović was acquainted with the need for more up-to-date delivery of directives, instructions and excerpts from work plans to heads of administrative districts by competent public administration bodies, with the aim of a more efficient and economical work of heads of administrative districts and better coordination of the actions of regional units of public administration bodies.
The interlocutors have also considered the tangible issues that the heads of administrative districts face in performing their duties, as well as their role in improving the coordination of inspections. In order to improve the conditions for the work of inspectors and increase the effectiveness of inspection supervision in local self-governments, a meeting of the Commission for Coordination of Inspection Supervision with the heads of administrative districts shall be organized in the coming period, as was noted at the meeting.
Martinović has emphasized that the heads of administrative districts are the extended limb of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for a certain part of the state territory, and that they are the link between the public administration and Local Self-government Units, which is why their role in establishing a modern and transparent public administration, as a service tailored to the citizens and the economy, is extremely important. He has told them that at the very next session of the Government, he shall present the Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, and other ministers with the conclusions from today’s meeting, so that, through joint, synchronized action, concrete progress can be made in solving the issues faced by the heads of administrative districts.
The Minister has added that the doors of the Ministry are always open to them if they require support, and suggested that cooperation should be intensified and such meetings should be held more often in the future. He has also stated that in the coming period, he will actively visit cities and municipalities in Serbia, and that the heads of administrative districts shall be invited to participate in these visits and become familiarized with all the activities which are carried out in the territory of the district they head.
The heads of the administrative districts have expressed their satisfaction with the agreements reached at today’s meeting, and emphasized that this kind of initiative and the minister’s willingness to listen to their problems are motivation for further work.