“Serbia and Switzerland shall support 100 local self-government units in Serbia so that they may advance in the field of Local Finance Reform, administer their revenues more efficiently, but also to cooperate more with citizens when it comes to decision-making on spending local budget funds,” Minister Marija Obradović has stressed after today’s signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between MDULS and the Swiss Confederation.
Minister Obradović and Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, Urs Schmid, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding today, which refers to the implementation of the phase three of the “Municipal Economic Development in Eastern Serbia” Programme, and which will be implemented by 2025.
“In the next four years, the Swiss government shall support almost 100 cities and municipalities throughout Serbia in the field of Property Tax Reform, as well as in promoting citizen participation and decision-making in the decision-making process concerning local budgets. Through the Programme ‘Responsible Local Finances and Citizen Involvement’, we want to help local self-governments organize their real estate databases, as well as to empower citizens to participate more actively in decision-making on how to spend money from local budgets. The entire programme is worth CHF 5.2 million,” H.E. Ambassador Schmid has said after the signing of the Memorandum.
Obradović and Schmid have invited all interested local self-government units in Serbia to apply under the public call which will be announced in the following period, and obtain support for the improvement of democratic practices and services which are oriented towards citizens.
The Programme “Municipal Economic Development in Eastern Serbia” – Phase 3 is funded by the Swiss Government through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), in cooperation with MDULS and SCTM, and is implemented by the International Development Organization HELVETAS.
Photo gallery – source: MDULS
