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By: Danica Pelemis, Press Officer
“We step into this year in a totally different way. Modrica Municipal Budget
was adopted on time. Public hearings were attended by a magnificent number of
citizens; more than 300 people were present during the discussion. The new Mayor
works on the opening of the municipal administration for investors and citizens”,
said Borislav Gvozden, Head of the Finance Department in Modrica Municipality.
The Municipality of Modrica is part of the former Doboj region, a member of
the Posavina Regional Development agency and considered to be at a moderately
developed level economically. It is situated approximately 200 km north of Sarajevo,
close to the Croatian border. The municipality covers 297sq km and has around
31,000 inhabitants. Significant number of citizens used to work at the Oil Refinery
Modrica.
“The municipal administration has faced enormous problems over the last few
years,” said Merdza Handalic, OSCE Tuzla Public Finance Adviser. “The situation
in Modrica Municipality was not good, especially in the field of public finance
management, which was reflected first of all through uncontrolled spending and
in that way, had been increasing the municipal debt, jeopardizing the normal
functioning of the public administration”.
“Out of 7,800 employable citizens in the municipality, 3,000 are unemployed”,
said Gvozden. “It is one of the problems we have been facing with in the past
years”, added Gvozden. “Still, I believe that the positive steps forward we
have taken help us in achieving our plans. In the beginning of 2004 we signed
the Agreement on Mutual Cooperation with OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Since then, we have started applying European standards in our work. We prepared
brochures on budget realization for the first six months of 2004 and a brochure
on the 2005 draft budget. The number of employees in municipal administration
was cut from 125 to 70, which wasn’t easy at all”.
Positive steps ahead have been taken during 2004. Many things have been changed
in the field of public finance and human resources management.
“Namely, within the process of budget preparation and planning, the municipal
administration has actively involved citizens, who had a chance to give their
suggestions and comments through surveys and public hearings organized in all
local communities. Furthermore, the Department for Finance, in cooperation with
other municipal departments, has recorded all debts from previous years and
at the same time has worked on the repayment plan; the transparency of documents
was improved as well, all in accordance with positive legal regulations. Necessary
bylaws were adopted, enhancing the spending of public finances. Modrica municipal
administration is progressing positively toward upgrading it efficacy and efficiency
in the process of creating a modern citizens-oriented municipal administration.
OSCE Department for Public Administration Reform will be heavily involved in
the whole process and will assist local administrative bodies to achieve their
goals”, emphasized Handalic, OSCE Tuzla Public Finance Adviser.
Through co-operation with international organizations and NGOs, Modrica Municipality
has adopted changes in work methodology as well. The new “one-stop-shopping”
municipal building was opened with the support of USA based Planning and Development
International Inc, and with assistance from the NGO Centers for Civic Initiatives,
citizens have became more interested in the work of the municipal administration.
According to Gvozden, many plans have been implemented, but not everything:
“Until now we have done something, I cannot say it is much, because there is
much yet to be done. Our goal is even bigger and better co-operation with citizens.
The main obstacle to this co-operation is the lack of local media in Modrica,
but we have managed to overcome this by regular issuance of brochures and leaflets.
Besides this, very soon we are planning to design a municipal web-page in order
to provide more information for the citizens, which will also include information
on monthly budget realization, capital investments and economic development
of Modrica Municipality in general”.
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