Six cities in Serbia obtained 1.5m EUR for improvement of water supply system - contracts signed

The Minister of National Investment Plan (NIP), Verica Kalanović, has signed about 1.5m EUR worth of contracts today (January 14, 2009) with the mayors of six municipalities for improvement of water supply systems in these municipalities.

She said at the press conference that the funds had been granted for purchase of water meters and detection instruments in Šabac, Loznica, Kraljevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Smederevo and Sombor, within the scope of project "Aid for water supply systems in mid-size municipalities".

Kalanović reminded that the contracts with Vršac and Smederevo had been signed in 2008.

The aim of the program is to improve living conditions by providing reliable and hygienically regular water supply for over 600,000 citizens of Serbia.

- The program has two phases. The focus in the first phase was on promotion of work of public companies in that domain, education and technical assistance - said Kalanović.

As she explained, the second phase is about to start and it will include the works on resolving of water supply issues in aforementioned municipalities.

She added that the value of the works, depending on the size of the city, would range between 4 and 6m EUR. She also said that there would be some additional investments in water tanks, extension of water supply systems and restructuring processes in public water companies.

- The entire project is worth 40m EUR. Part of the funds will be provided from the donation of the Government of Germany, while the rest will be provided from our own sources - said Kalanović and added that the third phase anticipated investments in wastewater units.

Kalanović announced that 6 new municipalities would be included in that program in 2009.
The Head Secretary of the Embassy of Germany, Hajke Perksen, said that the Government of Germany had invested 700m EUR in the projects in Serbia since year 2000, a significant part of which had been invested in water supply systems.

As she explained, 88m EUR has been set aside for water supply program.

Ministarstvo privrede Republike Srbije

Grad Loznica

Grad Šabac

Grad Sremska Mitrovica

Grad Smederevo

Grad Sombor

Grad Vršac

Ambasada SR Nemačke Beograd

Grad Kraljevo

Ministry of National Investment Plan

NIP

Verica Kalanović

City of Loznica

City of Šabac

City of Kraljevo

City of Sremska Mitrovica

City of Smederevo

City of Sombor

Town Hall of Vršac

Government of Germany

Embassy of Germany to Belgrade

Hajke Perksen