Mayors and public utility companies’ (PUC) directors from Kruševac, Vranje and Užice signed the implementation agreement on “Water supply and wastewater treatment in mid-sized municipalities in Serbia” project worth EUR60 million with the EU providing grants amounting nearly a quarter of total funds.
Head of Information, Communication and Press at the EU Delegation to Serbia Ramūnas Janušauskas said the signing of the agreement was of great importance to Serbia, because the fact that as little as 5-10% of wastewater in Serbia was being treated, producing an adversed effect on the environment and drinking water sources.
“With a total of EUR13,8 million worth grants we support these three towns,” he said and specified that the sum equalled 23% of the necessary funds. The EUR46 million was provided through a loan by German KfW Development Bank.
“This programme is targeted to support the improvement of living and health conditions of the citizens of Užice, Kruševac and Vranje in particular. Therefore, the expectation from the EC, the German Government as well as from all EU tax payers contributing to this action is that the Mayors of these three towns, together with the Directors of the PUCs, will make an extraordinary effort of coordination with their financiers as well as with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment to ensure the successful achievement of this programme objectives,” said Janušauskas.
According to him, in the last ten years the EU has invested EUR133 million in municipal infrastructure development in Serbia, out of which EUR56 million has been invested in wastewater treatment, EUR32 million in water supply systems, whereas the area of solid waste management has been allocated with EUR45 million.
Director of the KfW Serbian Office Jirgen Welschof, mayors and public utility companies’ directors from Krušeac, Vranje and Užice signed the contract.
