MUNICIPALITIES IN SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN SERBIA ON THE PATH OF BECOMING MORE TRANSPARENT AN EFFICIENT

12. November 2015.

Belgrade - 34 underdeveloped local self-governments in the southeastern and southwestern Serbia signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the activities in the sphere of good governance with the European Progress development program, which is financed by the Government of Switzerland and the European Union.

The document provides a framework for the introduction of the principles and practice of good governance that should contribute to increased accountability, transparency, efficiency and openness of the local self- governments. The signing of the Memorandum is the first step towards the establishment of the municipalities’ sustainable capacities to work in the said field.

The Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, Jean-Daniel Ruch, congratulated the representatives of 34 local self-governments on recognizing the importance and taking the crucial step, which would systematically and essentially make changes necessary for a stable and lasting development.

“Through the implementation of good governance principles, particularly when it comes to implementing participatory policies and practices, the local authorities will know how to meet their obligations transparently and efficiently and in accordance with the expressed needs of all the citizens. The moment when the relationship in which everyone works together for the betterment of their communities is established and when that becomes a permanent practice, we will be able to say that we accomplished our goal of improving local communities, "said Ambassador Ruch.

“This mechanism allows the focus of the European Union and the Government of Switzerland to be transferred to where the problems are generated and solved - to the local level. Good governance is a tool for reaching international standards through an analytical approach to strategic planning, "said Ivan Bosnjak, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government.

The European Union and the Government of Switzerland will, through the European Progress development program, provide support to the municipalities with the process. Special attention will be devoted to the activities relating to the implementation of infrastructure projects through the adoption of or amendments to the existing regulations and legislation, as well as to the activities related to municipal capacity building through training programs, the establishment of centers for good governance and the implementation of reform of the local governance.

“The European Union and the Swiss Government, through the European Progress program, strive to make the principles of good governance become the practice of the local self-governments’ daily work and functioning. This won’t happen overnight, but by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the municipalities participating in the program have shown a willingness for and an interest in the process, which is the first step towards improving the economic and social development. Our program will provide them full support on that path, "said Gream Tyndall, the Manager of the European Progress development program.

The program previously actively worked on assessing the current situation in the area of good governance in all 34 municipalities that are signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding. The results of the assessment will serve for preparing individual reform packages for all local self-governments, which will be presented to the municipalities at the beginning of 2016.

Source: European Progress and Coordination Body