Support for municipalities must look beyond formulas and take context into account

As part of the visits under way in Kosovo’s municipalities, representatives of the KLGI Institute continued with their next meeting, where they were received by the deputy mayor of the Municipality of Mitrovica, Mr Faruk Mujka.

The Executive Director of the KLGI Institute, Mr Besnik Tahiri, briefed Deputy Mayor Mujka on the Institute’s work and engagements, more specifically on the new programme “Support for Stronger and Sustainable Municipalities”, which is supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Deputy Mayor Mujka spoke about the municipal leadership’s commitment to a transformation that Mitrovica needs, not only for sustainable development but also for strategic planning. In this regard, besides thanking the KLGI Institute for all the opportunities it has provided through its training platforms, Mr Mujka requested even greater support for developing capacities to attract investment, given the political and economic context of this municipality.

Drawing on personal experience, Deputy Mayor Mujka stressed that the approach the Institute uses in its training not only offers a wide range of knowledge and experience but, above all, is a tool that pushes trainees to integrate the lessons learned from the programme into their work. For this reason, it is a very special opportunity for the KLGI Institute, with the support of partners and donors, to continue its advanced training platforms.

Mr Mujka asked the Institute to take a proactive role in supporting the programmes the Municipality of Mitrovica is developing, exploring opportunities so that the obstacles caused to Mitrovica by political and economic problems begin to be met with practical solutions that would produce incentives for the municipality vis-à-vis donors and projects implemented through development schemes, whether of the EU or other structural and development funds, turning them not only into development opportunities but also into a means of strengthening social cohesion in this municipality.

This context has become a burden for the Municipality of Mitrovica, not only in managing the tasks it faces but, above all, in terms of the need for sustainable development and for taking steps towards balanced development. This does not exclude the overstaffing left as a burden on the administration, which consequently represents a major obstacle, both to capacities for investment and to efficient services.

Therefore, given our open cooperation with the Institute, we express our full willingness to address proactively the real challenges facing the Municipality of Mitrovica.

Tahiri stressed that, through its long work with municipalities, the KLGI Institute not only serves as a training and support platform but, above all, has become intertwined in its work with the challenges of municipalities. Before criticising, it examines the context, and before offering support, it carries out analysis and obtains first-hand information. The Institute’s work is therefore a direct reflection of the demands and needs that come directly from municipalities and stakeholders.