March 31, 2010

31. March 2010.

Vranje – Verica Kalanovic, Minister for National Investment Plan (NIP), is of the view that the government should invest more in South Serbia, but that it is also necessary for local self – governments to take more initiative in that respect.

The overall economic and social situation in Bujanovac, Presevo and other southern Serbian municipalities is extremely difficult, if not even dramatic; it was concluded yesterday at a meeting held in Bujanovac under the title of the “ Economic Development of South Serbia and the Importance of Local Initiatives”. Verica Kalanovic, Minister for National Investment Plan, pointed out that the Serbian government, not only through the Fund that is led by her, invests both in this and other parts of Serbia in accordance with its possibilities.

“It is true that the government must take more care of a balanced development of the country, which means that it should invest more in South Serbia. However, it is also true that both businessmen and local self-governments from these municipalities should take far more initiative”, she said.

Minister Kalanovic underscored that despite the current economic crisis and a general lack of cash, the NIP and other ministries would find the way for allocating additional funds to the undeveloped parts of the country.

Municipal presidents of Bujanovac and Presevo, Saip Kamberi and Ragmi Mustafa, underlined that they could, generally, be satisfied with NIP’s care for South Serbia. “Our cooperation improved considerably over the past few years, while we received from NIP 76 million dinars last year, which is good. However, that amount of money is insufficient to rectify, over a short period of time, a huge injustice that was done to this region”, Mr. Kamberi said.

Ragmi Mustafa, the municipal president of Presevo, pointed out that the government should treat differently the region where unemployment is 70 per cent. “In view of the situation in the past, I must point put that we are pleased with 30 million dinars that we received from NIP last year. However, that amount of money is still too modest for a municipality that is in the process of building its infrastructure for a faster economic development”, Mr. Mustafa said.

The meeting entitled the “Economic Development of South Serbia and the Importance of Local Initiatives” was organized by the Center for Democracy and Development of South Serbia from Leskovac.

The Ministry for National Investment Plan stated that Verica Kalanovic would speak today in Jagodina about the resumption of NIP’s programs, which were launched last year, with municipal presidents of 40 least developed Serbian municipalities.