In collaboration with the Institute for Budgetary and Socio-Economic Research (IBSER) under the USAID Municipal Finance Strengthening Initiative (MFSI-II) Roll-out Project, the Uzhhorod City Council held a roundtable entitled Implementation of Participatory Budgeting in Uzhhorod on July 18. The event was chaired by the Mayor Bohdan Andriiv. The roundtable was attended by more than 40 persons, including activists, representatives of the Uzhhorod City Council, nongovernmental organizations, and mass media.
The Mayor has reminded that a citizens’ budget was launched in Uzhhorod last year. ”The community responded well to the initiative, with several scores of projects submitted, more than half of which received significant support during the voting procedure, and their implementation has already started,” Bohdan Andriiv stressed.
Vyacheslav Zubrenko, IBSER’s director general, mentioned that Uzhhorod was the 37th city to receive the Citizens’ Project electronic system. “The system will make it possible to ensure an even broader-based engagement of citizens to collaboration with the government, and will help increase the quantity and improve the quality of projects within citizens’ budget,” underlined Vyacheslav Zubenko.
Members of the Uzhhorod City Council Oleksandr Ihnat and Mykola Siusko spoke about the opportunities for the community to attract budget funds for infrastructure projects, and the role of non-governmental organizations in this process.
Andrii Pelekhatyi, an expert with the Institute for Regional Development (MFSI-II Project’s subgrantee), spoke about the upcoming series of training events to be delivered in Uzhhorod, where city residents will familiarize themselves with best international practices of implementation of participatory budgeting, and will learn how to prepare a successful project and promote their initiative.
unity filed a few dozens of projects, more than half of them during the vote gained the support of residents and their implementation", – said Bogdan Andreev.
Vyacheslav Zubenko, IBSER Director General, said that Uzhgorod – 37-e city, which has received the electronic system community project. "The system will allow a broader inclusion of society to cooperate with the government, will boost the number and quality of projects within the public budget", - said Vyacheslav Zubenko.
On the possibility for companies to attract budget funds for infrastructure projects the role in this of public organizations told the deputies of the Uzhgorod City Council Alexander Ignat and Nicholas Susko.
Andrew Pelechaty, expert of the "Institute of regional development" (subgranted MFSI-II") said that soon in Uzhgorod will host a series of sessions during which residents will get acquainted with best international practices of implementation of budget participation, learn how to prepare a successful project and promote the private initiative.
Glyanec