During her visit to the south of the country, the Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office Ursula Läubli attended the signature of the contract which will enable 60 people hailing from vulnerable groups to undergo training at the factory Leoni Wiring. Previous training courses were conducted with the support of the Government of Switzerland and the EU and were aimed at social inclusion of vulnerable groups with a goal of enhancing their employability. So far, 100 people in Doljevac have successfully completed training courses; 88 of them, mostly women and persons under 30, have found jobs at the company Leoni Wiring.
The EU and the Swiss Government have supported the implementation of such projects in another ten municipalities included in the European PROGRES, where 330 people are expected to successfully complete trainings and about 200 are expected to get a job and thus contribute to narrowing the gap between the supply and demand of local labour markets.
Doljevac set to get a new, modern farmers’ market
Läubli, together with the Mayor of Doljevac, Goran Ljubic, visited today the ongoing construction works carried out on the farmers’ market in Pukovac. The EUR200,000 project is expected to contribute to creating better conditions for agricultural producers in and around Doljevac. Also, it should secure product placement and provide an opportunity to generate higher incomes.
“In addition to economic empowerment of agricultural holdings and benefits for the entire population of Doljevac, for us, it is very important to know that the municipality has paid due attention to the rules which will regulate the operation of the green market, thus contributing to the observance of principles of good governance and greater accountability and transparency in the work of the local self-government,” said Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office Ursula Läubli.
Adhering to these principles, the Municipal Assembly of Doljevac has adopted a Decision on the Green Market Rules, while the Supervisory Board of the Public Utility Company has passed the Rulebook governing the renting of stalls at the green market. These acts stipulate pricing methods, assigning and renting of market stalls, as well as the way in which the revenue would be used.
According to Mayor Goran Ljubic, the construction works are in the final stage, 2,000 square meters of the green market area has been roofed. Setting up of market stalls is also under way. Ljubic added that this would boost the competitiveness of local economy which relies on agricultural production, stressing that the Municipality of Doljevac is home to over 3,800 agricultural holdings.
Construction works on dialysis ward in Lebane coming to an end
Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office visited the construction works on dialysis ward within the Health Centre in Lebane, supported by the EU and the Swiss Government with some RSD5 million. Once the ward becomes operational, patients from Lebane, Medvedja and Bojnik who suffer from kidney diseases will no longer have to travel to Leskovac for dialysis; instead, they will be given the necessary medical assistance in Lebane.
In addition to the finalization of construction works, electrical wiring, ventilation and air conditioning of the premises, the Community Health Centre also received a part of medical equipment for the future dialysis ward, including a defibrillator, an electrocardiograph (ECG), a patients’ monitor, eight beds and one dry-heat sterilizer, all of which will contribute to the Centre’s operation at full capacity. In parallel, two doctors and eight nurses have undergone the necessary training.
A year on, the number of Radanska ruza employees increases threefold
In Lebane, Ursula Läubli, the Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office, visited Radanska Ruža, the first social enterprise in the Jablanicki District, set up thanks to the funding provided by the European Union and the Government of Switzerland through European PROGRES, which employs women from marginalized groups. A year on, the number of women from Lebane who found permanent employment at Ruža increased threefold and now there are 15 of them, while another 20 women are hired under temporary contracts. They produce pickled foods and generate income for both themselves and their families.
As pointed out during the visit, such projects, implemented through partnerships between civil society organizations and local self-governments lay the foundation for good governance and at the same time contribute to finding systemic solutions to issues affecting the quality of life of citizens.
The European Union and the Government of Switzerland support the activities of the European PROGRESS programme sustainable development of the South and South West Serbia, with a total of EUR24.46 million. Approved projects will be aimed at strengthening local administration, creating a favourable environment for the development of infrastructure and economy as well as improving the implementation of social inclusion and employment policy. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS).
The municipalities included in the programme are as follows: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, NovaVaros, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in South West Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in South East Serbia.
