USAID celebrates Croatia's local government project achievements
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Public Affairs Section
Zagreb, Croatia
USAID CELEBRATES CROATIA'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS AT THE MIMARA MUSEUM
Zagreb, July 3, 2007 - USAID Mission Director to Croatia, William A. Jeffers, will join Antun Palarić, State Secretary, Central State Office for Public Administration, and Vojko Obersnel, President, Association of Cities, for the USAID Local Government Project Close-Out on July 5, 2007. The event will begin at 11 A.M. at the Mimara Museum.
The Local Government Project supported key areas of Croatia's local government administration with the broad goal to provide effective community and business services, manage decentralized functions and prepare for entry into the European Union. Under the Project municipalities have improved their asset management. As a result, they have recorded 4.2 billion kuna ($765 million) worth of newly inventoried assets, generated 2.5 billion kuna ($44 million) in recurring annual revenues and additional 2 billion kuna ($33.5 million) in sales. Further, USAID, in close cooperation with the European Union and the Government of Croatia supported a national public procurement system applying modern EU-compliant methods fostering transparency and cost-effectiveness which is moving the Croatian system toward fully compliant EU public procurement standards. In terms of training and education, Croatia now offerss of practical public administration courses for local officials offered throughout the country - from the University of Rijeka's masters degree to short-term mid-career programs customized for professional staff and officials at the Universities in Split, Zagreb, and the Zagreb School of Economics and Management. Finally, the cooperative agreements established between the cities of Dubrovnik and Monterey, California, Karlovac and Kansas City, Kansas, and with Istrian towns have laid a solid foundation for future urban development across Croatia serves to further closer U.S.-Croatian relations for years to come.
USAID is the primary assistance organization of the United States Government. Since 1992, the United States has provided over $407 million to Croatia (much of it through USAID programs) to strengthen democratic institutions and assist in postwar reconstruction and the return of refugees, to support de-mining and economic development, and to provide educational and training opportunities. The U.S. has also provided guidance and support to the Croatian judicial and military sectors to further Croatia's integration in Euro-Atlantic institutions