Previous Program Phases

Phase I

All these years, as long as we have been cooperating with local self-governments in Serbia, it has always been our first priority to listen to them, understand the needs of their citizens and help in the areas where their help was most needed.

In the first phase of the program, we worked with nine municipalities from eastern Serbia. These are Veliko Gradište, Golubac, Majdanpek, Kladovo, Negotin, Knjaževac, Zaječar, Boljevac and Sokobanja. The general goal of the program was to provide favorable framework conditions for the improvement of local and regional development in Eastern Serbia in accordance with the mechanisms and standards of good management.

Through the program, we were committed to local development in Eastern Serbia, strengthening municipal capacities to support the local economy and deepening mutual responsibility between local authorities, the private and civil sectors. The program dealt with the most significant shortcomings and challenges related to the improvement of the legal framework and management mechanisms in the area of local economic development in Eastern Serbia.

About 300,000 citizens and representatives of the private sector in one of the poorest regions in Serbia benefited directly. In addition to nine partner municipalities, we also cooperated with the Regional Development Agency for Eastern Serbia, as well as relevant ministries – the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Regional Development and Local Self-Government.

The program was supported by Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), as well as the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and was implemented by the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ).

At the end of the first phase, the five best municipalities in the field of updating the real estate database shared a prize of one million francs, which they received as a gift from the Swiss Government. These are Boljevac, Negotin, Sokobanja, Veliko Gradište and Zaječar.

In addition, in the area of property tax reform, we also supported producers of medicinal plants, winemakers, honey producers, and women engaged in rural tourism.

Phase II

In the second phase of the program, we worked with 44 local governments in Serbia in the areas of good governance and property tax reform. In total, more than 100 local governments were involved in educational workshops organized by progras.

Through the program, we supported municipalities in Serbia in increasing the collection of property taxes, i.e. own revenues, which are important for the modernization of public services to citizens and the private sector. Also, together with local authorities, we worked to improve the dialogue with citizens regarding the use of property tax revenues. We aimed to help improve living conditions, services and governance for at least 2,500,000 citizens in Serbia.

The theme of good governance is applied to all program activities to facilitate practical decision-making that incorporates the principles of good governance. A special focus is placed on strengthening the responsibility between citizens (taxpayers) and local authorities (service providers).

And this time, the local governments that increased their property tax collection in the most effective way were rewarded with a fund of one million Swiss francs. They spent that money on projects that are in line with the needs of their citizens.

The awarded municipalities in this phase were Mali Zvornik, Gornji Milanovac, Ljubovija, Apatin and Bor.

In addition, we donated 16.5 million dinars for projects related to the inclusion of citizens in decision-making on the spending of funds collected through the property tax.