This year was also marked by the screening by the European Commission in the area of local self- government, and the assessment points to the need to improve public services at the local level, which also corresponds with the opinion of the citizens, said the Minister of Local Self-Government Risto Penov at the annual conference on decentralization and local governance organized by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and UNDP.

- This conference is an opportunity, together with the local authorities and the donor community, to summarize the results and address the challenges for the coming year. The past year was not easy at all, burdened with the consequences of the economic and energy crisis. We faced a big challenge in providing public services and maintaining them at an acceptable level for both the municipalities and the citizens, but I can express satisfaction with the initiative at all levels to respond to the needs of the citizens, noted Minister Penov.

Minister Penov pointed out that the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Regional Development Bureau, through the budgetary Programs for balanced regional development and for the reduction of disparities, this year financed 135 projects in the municipalities and in the planning regions, worth 850 million denars or over 14 million euros for improvement of road and communal infrastructure, for equipping communal public enterprises, waste management, regulation of riverbeds and other priority issues for citizens.

- This year, we are wrapping up the second IPA Program period, in which 192 projects worth 60 million euros were financed through the five IPA Programs for cross-border cooperation. The co-financing of 9 million euros is provided by the state budget. And these projects are implemented in the municipalities. These are, above all, projects to improve energy efficiency, reconstruction and construction of kindergartens, schools and other public facilities. The equipment of the territorial firefighting units has been improved, Penov said.

- The next challenge for which we had a coordination meeting with the donor community is the digitization of local services. This process has started, but will be intensified. The management of public finances, especially the collection of local taxes and fees, was indicated as a priority area. The digitization process is complex, it involves many institutions and steps, but it is important to program well and with the support of the donor community to start with concrete measures immediately, next year. Fiscal decentralization is one of the most important segments, which local authorities are particularly interested in, said Penov.

According to him, the increase in the revenues of municipalities from VAT and personal tax to 6% is a trend that should continue.

- The partnership with ZELS is important for improving the local self-government system. I would like to talk more about specific projects that have the greatest impact on the development of municipalities and planning regions. We support the municipalities for the preparation of technical documentation for larger infrastructure projects, for which 1.5 million dollars have been provided.

Penov said that the latest survey of citizens' satisfaction shows that citizens are generally satisfied with the quality of life in their municipality, especially with the services for fire protection and child care.

-However, a small drop in satisfaction compared to the last year 2022 can be observed, especially from the way in which their municipality is managed from 3, 2 to 3 and from the way the mayor and the council take into account the views and opinions of the citizens from 3.0 to 2.8, which indicates a negative trend that should not be overlooked. Citizens expect better services for people with special needs and to improve the lives of young people. The average score for the work of local authorities is 3, one third of respondents are satisfied, but one third are completely indifferent. As the minister emphasized, the results reveal an increase in the percentage of those who share the opinion that there is a little or significantly more corruption in their municipality today, from 5% in 2017, 6% in 2018 and 2019, to 24% in 2023. The perception of the citizens is an important indicator and the best roadmap in planning the next activities to improve the functionality of the local self-government, said Minister Penov.