The Government has provided a total of Denar 42 million for 44 projects at the second call for equal regional development.

The projects have been submitted by centers for development of planning regions and the municipalities, which are reviewed and evaluated based on set of criteria by the expert commission established by the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Deputy PM Vladimir Pesevski told Wednesday’s press conference.

The call was organised following budget rebalance and announced in September 2015.

With the realization of the two calls this year, with the programme for equal regional development, a total of 107 projects amounting to Denar 132 million were financed from country’s budget, which is twice more funds allocated than last year, Pesevski said.

The Government is strongly committed to fostering equal regional development and 2016 draft budget for this purpose foresees Denar 300 million or €5 million, Pesevski said after the completion of the 15th session of the Council for Equal Regional Development.

He said that one third of the projects are for the preparation of reports, technical and project documentation as well as feasibility studies for which regions and municipalities provide funds and other sources of funding – EU funds, the World Bank, municipal budgets, concessions and public private partnership.

Minister of Local Self-Government Lirim Shabani said that the government allocated funds twice in a year to finance projects for development of regions, villages and areas with specific development needs and added that the funds for equal regional development will be evenly distributed among the regions.

Pesevski said that the efficient implementation of the programme for equal regional development, and proposed legislative changes that are already in parliamentary procedure, should ensure better functioning of the centers for support of the planning regions, their better financing and sustainability.