Potential Contributions of South East European Local Governments to the Regional Economic Area (MAP REA)
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1.3. Serbia City of Kraljevo: Office for projects and local economic development CASE 1: OFFICE FOR PROJECTS AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN KRALJEVO Basic Information Organisation/Partners: City of Kraljevo Contact person: Mirjana Prodanović, head of department for LED and projects, city of Kraljevo Start of the project: 2007. End of the project / Implementation time frame: 2018 first phase Inhabitants: 125,488 (census 2011) Costs: initial costs of equipping the office €92,881.76. 50% from Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) and 50% city budget Type of Financing: local budget support from SDC project, Municipal support programme Subject Area: Local economic development Brief Description: Officially, local economic development became a local self-government competence in Serbia in 2007, when the National Assembly adopted the Law on Local Self-government which states that LSGs “…adopts programs and implements local economic development projects and takes care of the improvement of the general framework for economy in the unit of local self-government”. Although some LED offices were established before 2007, the number of offices has increased since the adoption of the Law. The support for establishing the offices was mainly provided by donor projects for reconstructing and equipping the offices but also for increasing the employees’ competences. The purpose of establishing the LED office was to enhance the local economy through attracting investment and supporting local business and start-ups. An office for projects and local economic development was established in Kraljevo in 2007, in the form of an office under the direct supervision of the mayor and head of city administration and with the support of two international donor programs: The Municipal Support Programme (SDC) and Municipal Economic Growth Activity (USAID). The office’s initial role was project management but in 2008, with support from the USIAD MEGA program, local economic development was added as one of its core functions. The initial cost of establishing the office, €92,881.76, was provided by the SDC MSP project for equipment and for setting up the system within the city administration (selection
