Pristina, 2 March 2023
Kosovo Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA), in partnership with the EU in Kosovo, and the Governments of Switzerland, Sweden and Norway awarded today the Municipal Performance Grants totaling EUR 7.85 million to the six best preforming municipalities in Kosovo.
The grants were awarded to Gllogoc/Glogovac, Lipjan/Lipljan, Obiliq/Obilić, Viti/Vitina, Gjakovë/Đakovica and Klinë/Klina, for their good performance throughout 2021 in the areas of democratic governance, municipal management, and the provision of public services, amongst other.
Out of the total amount for the grants, the MLGA provided EUR 3.5 million, while the international partners contributed an additional EUR 4.35 million.
As the best of the best, according to the set of clearly defined indicators, Gllogoc/Glogovac – 1st place, Lipjan/lipljan – 2nd place, and Obiliq/Obilić – 3rd place, received higher amounts to stimulate them to further improve their transparency, accountability, and responsiveness, and provide quality services matching the needs of their citizens.
Mr. Elbert Krasniqi, the Minister of Local Government Administration, has highlighted some of the steps taken by MLGA so that the competition between municipalities is fair, transparent and equal.
In addition, he emphasized that MLGA “will always be at the side of the municipalities, offering its unreserved support to raise the well-being of citizens and improve living conditions through this grant, which this year supports 6 municipalities with about 8 million euros.
European Union in Kosovo’s Head of Cooperation, Johannes Madsen, expressed the EU’s commitment to support Kosovo’s journey towards prosperity and European integration.
“With the EU’s assistance to Kosovo deriving from the third wave of funding under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, covering the 2021-2027 period, we are also aiming to improve the quality of service delivered on the municipal level, thus improving the quality of life of every woman, man and child living in Kosovo. Municipal Performance Grants represent one avenue through which the EU is helping Kosovo institutions to better cater to the needs of the local population,” said Madsen.
The Swiss Ambassador to Kosovo, Mr. Thomas Kolly, in speech stated: “Switzerland has been involved in the Municipal Performance Grant since the very beginning. Today the MPG has developed further, and its funding has increased significantly with co-financing of the Ministry
of Local Governance Administration and four international donors. This confirms our shared appreciation for the MPG and our commitment for supporting the development of Kosovo’s municipalities and local governance in general”.
He congratulated the municipalities who have been qualified for the grant, recognizing the collective effort of municipal officials, mayors, directors, and municipal assembly members and their dedication to improving the lives of their citizens. He hopes that all municipalities of Kosovo will continue to improve their performance and meet the set criteria for receiving the Municipal Performance Grant.
The Swedish Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonas Westerlund, emphasized the participatory aspect of good governance.
“Let us not forget that the quality of democracy is heavily dependent on citizen participation. Mayors and their teams are the catalysts that turn visionary ideas into tangible results in our communities. Nevertheless, these projects are for the benefit of citizens, and they should be the key actor in the process of prioritizing and decision-making on which investments to bring to life. Therefore, we must make greater efforts to involve larger groups of citizens in these processes,” said Ambassador Wester.
