RIJEKA, USAID SIGN AGREEMENT ON REFORM OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

RIJEKA, March 13 (Hina) - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the City of Rijeka, as the first unit of local self-government in Croatia, on Tuesday signed an agreement on cooperation in implementing a project on the reform of local self-government. The head of the USAID Mission to Croatia, Pamela Baldwin, said Rijeka was chosen as a testing city for the project because it was one of the most promising Croatian cities, oriented towards stimulating entrepreneurship and improving the citizens' living standards. USAID will help Rijeka establish a system of financial management and capital investment planning, strategic planning of economic development, increasing the citizens' role in local decision- making, and implementing a regional infrastructure programme through the participation of the private water management sector. Maris Mikelsons, director of the Urban-Institute, which implements the programme of reform of local self-government, said Osijek, Varazdin and Crikvenica would also be included in the project. Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel was satisfied that the USAID programme would improve living conditions in the city and added that the municipal administration would become more efficient and cheaper. The head of the Rijeka City Office, Ksenija Cule, said Rijeka had been selected for the project also because in the past decade it had been a leading city in the struggle for decentralisation and strengthening of local self-government. (hina) rml