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Presentation of the new Law on Balanced Regional Development to the directors of the Development Centers

 

The Law on Balanced Regional Development was adopted on January 27, 2021 and its implementation begins immediately. The goal is to reduce development differences with an improved legal and institutional framework, and at the same time to improve the competitive advantages of the planning regions.

As a competent ministry today we want to inform about the new solutions in the Law on Balanced Regional Development, because it is important for the Development Centers to be informed and to give their contribution so that we can ensure quality implementation of the Law. This is an opportunity to discuss all dilemmas and provide conditions for the implementation of projects in the municipalities and planning regions, said Minister Milevski.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government with the new Law on Balanced Regional Development envisages another Program which will finance projects to reduce disparities between and in the planning regions and which will encourage the competitiveness of the planning regions. This Program will support construction activities to improve access to infrastructure at the level of planning regions and at the local level, as well as the preparation of analyzes, studies and project documentation.

For the realization of the funds from this program, the public call will be announced by the Ministry of Local Self-Government, and besides the Centers for Development of Planning Regions and Municipalities, the public enterprises and public institutions established by the state and the municipalities will be able to apply for this call. Higher education and scientific institutions and citizens' associations.

It is also a novelty that this law introduces a new category - urban areas. Urban areas according to this Law are the municipalities based in the city and the city of Skopje.

This means that in addition to the projects for development of the planning regions, for the development of the villages and for the development of the areas with specific development needs, projects for development of urban areas will be financed for which the municipalities based in the city can apply.

These municipalities, unlike the rural ones, had their own specifics, which in accordance with the EU regulations should be additionally supported.

Key institutions in the implementation of the Law are the Bureau for Regional Development, the Centers for Development of the Planning Regions and the Municipalities. The Centers for Development of Planning Regions prepare the projects for development of the planning regions and implement the projects that will be approved. Municipalities prepare and implement projects for the development of villages and areas with specific development needs. The Bureau for Regional Development oversees the implementation of projects for which it provides a financial framework.