Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova



CALM in partnership with the Ministry of Education addresses issues related to the activity of educational and cultural institutions during the pandemic crisis

On April 29, 2020 CALM organized an online meeting with the participation of over 90 representatives of local authorities, Minister of Education, Culture and Research Mr. Igor Sharov, Director of the General Directorate of Preschool, Primary and Secondary General Education Mr. Valentin Crudu, Head of Division for salaries policy and monitoring of employees in the budgetary sector of the Ministry of Finance Ms. Raisa Ghilan, main consultant of the Directorate of Arts and Creative Industries Ms. Olga Susarenco and other representatives of the central authorities. The event was organized in the context in which in this period of emergency, due to imperfect legislation and the possibility of interpreting it, local elected officials face several problems in managing the activity of educational institutions in the localities they administer, but also those in the field of culture.

Minister of Education Mr. Igror Sharov thanked CALM for this opportunity to talk to local elected officials, noting that this situation caused by the spread of coronavirus took us all by surprise and reflected three problems in education: lack of technology, lack of internet and the lack of digital skills in a part of the population. According to the Minister, MECC aims to provide in the next period with equipment and internet connection teachers and students who do not have computer technology, to contribute to the training of teachers on the use of digital resources, but also to monitor the distance learning process, etc.

The mayors spoke about the duties of the founder of the pre-school education institution (kindergartens), the activity and remuneration of pedagogical and technical staff, the possibility of temporarily stopping the activity of kindergartens and cultural institutions, how to apply paid leave and/or other forms of law for employees/ institutions that cannot work remotely, the conditions under which work performance must be paid during this period, the salary of library and culture employees, etc.

CALM President Tatiana Badan, mayor of Selemet village, Cimișlia stated that during this period, in many villages in the Republic of Moldova it was not possible to remotely continue the education process in kindergartens. "From the moment the state of emergency in the Republic of Moldova was declared, the employees of the kindergartens from Cimișlia district were granted annual leave. But how will we proceed in the summer when parents will have to go to work? At the same time, there must be legal clarity in salary relationships. If we keep paying the technical staff of these institutions, we could, for example, involve them in other activities."

The President of CALM proposed that from the savings made now, it should be possible to purchase computers or connect to the Internet of preschools children where it is lacking, but for this it is necessary to give LPAs the possibility to make changes in local budgets since it refers to conditional grants.

Some LPA representatives were of the opinion that there is no fairness in the decision to pay in the same way the employees of the state who exercise their duties and those who stay at home.

The representative of the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Raisa Ghilan, specified that for the units that cannot carry out remote work, the Labour Code provides for the stationary period of these employees it is possible to be remunerated with 2/3 of the salary.

CALM Executive Director Viorel Furdui underlined that LPAs need more leverage to be able to make more decisions, depending on the situation in each community. According to CALM Executive Director, the methodologies developed by the Ministry that also target the work of local authorities should be consulted with LPA representatives when conceptualizing them, thus avoiding many of the discussions that are taking place now and many of the issues they currently face.

It was agreed that several documents prepared by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research should be sent to local public authorities through CALM. It was also agreed that a further meeting in this format would take place at the end of May.

The issues addressed during the event will be the subject of analysis and the basis for further discussions. CALM considers this cooperation to be a promising one, but also an example of dialogue between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and CALM. CALM hopes that this model will be taken over by other state structures.



 

 Association of Kosovo Municipalities


Reaction: Municipalities are prohibited from procurement activities for capital investments
The Mayors through the Association of Kosovo Municipalities reacted about the latest announcement issued by the Public Procurement Regulatory Commission (PPRC), no. 42/20120, dated 21.04.2020 by a letter addressed to Mr. Osman Vishaj - President of the Public Procurement Regulatory Commission.

In this notice, which due to the situation created as a result of Covid- 19, in point II of the Notice it is stated:

“For all procurement activities that are in the process of tendering or initiating the issuance of public contracts for supply, services, works that are not emergency as a cause of Covid- 19, or that are not related to the functioning of the State Administration, to postpone the deadlines of tendering / initiation with special emphasis on CAPITAL INVESTMENTS in accordance with the decisions of the Ministry of Health dated. 14.04.2020 on the prevention, combating and elimination of Covid- 19 disease, so in the inability to move according to Ministry of Health (MoH) decisions and by the order of the Ministry of Economy, Employment, Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Investments (MEETIESI) for the progress of economic activities during public health emergencies, the submission of tenders should be postponed after 05.05. 2020. "

This reason is not very convincing to postpone all procurement activities after 05 May 2020.

We as the AKM think that public procurement activities have nothing to do with the possibility of the spread of COVID-19.

It should be taken into account that all public procurement activities are automated and developed through the Internet, through the well-known e-procurement procedure. Given the tender procedures and the long-term legal deadlines for tendering, the bid alone takes 30 days. Therefore, such a request from the PPRC is an obstacle for the municipalities in the implementation of capital projects based on the budget allocated for 2020, and not in the spirit of this announcement that aims to ‘make the tendering process easier’. It should be noted that the budget for capital investments in municipalities is approved by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and we cannot imagine how the PPRC's decisions contradict the Ministry of Finance and Transfers (MFT) where this Ministry has informed the municipalities that they may proceed with the implementation of capital projects.

We consider that such decisions are illegal and an out competence of the PPRC. The PPRC cannot take on the role of the legislator but is the regulator of procedures under the applicable Law.

We, as AKM, ask the PPRC not to interrupt the public procurement activities because we are convinced that any postponement of these activities will be to the detriment of the local population and this decision of yours will mostly affect the local residents who would benefit directly from these projects. There are also projects related to drinking water supply, sewerage and other projects which are directly related to the fight against COVID-19.

In this way, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities requests that first the PPRC be in a position with the Ministry of Finance and Transfers (MFT) and from notification 42/2020, in point II to make an exception in the request not to submit tenders until after 05.05.2020 for municipalities, so that the tendering process continues in the municipalities in order to realize the capital investments foreseen for this year.

Please do not become an obstacle to the benefit of the citizens from these projects, but become the impetus for the realization of the projects that benefit the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. Municipalities pledge to strictly comply with the standards of the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic" - said the letter of the AKM signed by Mr. Xhafer Gashi, Deputy President of the AKM.
 

After the Reaction of AKM: Municipalities can announce tenders as there is no suspension of procurement activities
After the meeting between Mr. Sazan Ibrahimi - Executive Director of AKM and Mr. Osman Vishaj - President of the Public Procurement Regulatory Commission (PPRC) it is clarified that all Contracting Authorities (CA) can announce tenders for supplies, services or other work based on their plans (procurement plans).

But in this case, the date of submission (opening) of tenders should not be scheduled before 05.05.2020, while for tenders that municipalities have announced before the announcement of date 21.04.2020 with number 42/2020 should postpone only the delivery dates (opening), so the delivery dates must be made after that date.

It was clarified at the meeting that there is no suspension of Procurement Activities, but only for a postponement of the submission (opening) of some bids.
 
AKM demands non-application of interest-delay and fine for unpaid Tax for 2020
The Association of Kosovo Municipalities addressed a request to Mr. Besnik Bislimi - Minister of Finance and Transfers regarding the possibility of taking measures not to apply interest-delay and fines for unpaid timely tax of (2020), throughout 2020.

"We are writing to you based on the difficult situation that Kosovo, like many other countries in the world, is going through as a result of the impact of COVID-19  . These are certainly challenging periods and the problems we are facing have been numerous and from the most diverse. No one can accurately predict the developments that await us, but it is already certain that the consequences for taxpayers and the economy as a whole will be serious.

This situation requires careful assessment by the Ministry of Finance and Transfers regarding property tax liabilities, in order to take measures and minimize as much as possible the consequences of the crisis for the citizens and businesses of Kosovo.

We are aware that due to the slowdown in the work of the Post and Telecom of Kosovo (PTK) and the Municipalities, where we work with reduced staff, restricting the movement of citizens, etc., the distribution of property tax invoices, this tax year, will take a lot of time. Invoices may not reach a large part of taxpayers in time, which is a real obstacle to the timely fulfilment of obligations by taxpayers.

Moreover, a large proportion of businesses have been forced to suspend their operations, and a number of citizens may have lower incomes this year. As a result, a significant part of taxpayers will find themselves in objective impossibility to pay property tax liabilities within the deadlines set for this tax year (June 30 and September 30), which has led by law the application of interest on arrears and fines on unpaid tax.

Regarding the above, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities recommends to the Ministry of Finance and Transfers to consider the possibility of taking measures not to apply interest on arrears and fines for unpaid tax on time this tax year (2020), throughout 2020 " - it is stated in the letter of AKM signed by Mr. Xhafer Gashi - Deputy President of AKM.
 
 
Municipalities engaged in cleaning all illegal landfills
The Association of Kosovo Municipalities has organized a meeting with the Working Group of Municipal Officials for Waste Management through the online platform.

In this online meeting by the participating municipalities it was once again emphasized that the municipalities are even more engaged in the best management of the waste collection field. As a result of the situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the representatives of the municipalities announced additional commitments in the most comprehensive disinfection in the territory of the municipalities. Municipalities have also taken additional steps to eliminate illegal landfills in order to prevent any risk that these landfills may pose in this situation.

In the meeting Mr. Armend Agushi from Kosovo Waste Management Agency (KWMA), discussed with the representatives of the municipalities about the process of reporting by the Municipalities in KWMA, a process which at the request of the AKM has been postponed until April 30 due to restrictions as a result of Pandemic COVID-19.

In this meeting also it was discussed for the forms of reporting, the required signatures, the registration of illegal landfills as well as the challenges and practices in the municipalities for the reporting process - as a result of the emergency situation with COVID-19 pandemic.

Even in this meeting, the support of the municipalities in the reporting process was provided by KWMA & GIZ / SMS, who are part of this digital reporting process.
 

AKM is the beneficiary of a project from NALAS
The Association of Kosovo Municipalities is the beneficiary from a NALAS project, in which case an agreement was signed with the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of Southeast Europe (NALAS) for the implementation of the SoRi II Project - Enhancing local capacities to implement the 2030 Agenda and the “Leave No One Behind” Principle.

The aim of the Project is to support the Municipalities of Kosovo* to improve the economic, social and cultural human rights of citizens in accordance with the comprehensive principle of the 2030 Agenda "Leave no one behind."

The total amount of the agreement budget is 37,900.00 Euros and the implementation period is two years.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.




Association of Cities in the Republic of Croatia


Free public transport during the COVID-19  situation in Croatian city
In accordance with the new measures connected with COVID-19   situation, and introduced by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, public urban and suburban transport lines have been allowed.

The representatives of the City of Samobor held an emergency meeting with the representatives of the transport companies, and have decided that public transport in the City will be free of charge for citizens. Six bus routes are being introduced, and it is anticipated that all of them will arrive at the same time to the central bus station, in order to facilitate further travel.

This situation is foreseen until May 10, with the possibility of an extension.
 
 

Closed markets start working again, opera soloists sing at Palilula Market
Indoor markets, including the Palilula Market, have resumed their work in Belgrade on 28 April. The citizens who came to the grocery market had the extraordinary opportunity to hear the performance of soloists of the National Theater Opera. The event was also attended by Deputy Mayor of Belgrade Goran Vesić.

Palilula Market was also visited today by Deputy Mayor Andrea Radulović, Director of Public Utility Company "City Markets" Bojan Bajagić and President of the Municipality of Palilula Aleksandar Jovičić.

"Today we wanted to celebrate in a symbolic way that closed markets in Belgrade are reopened. I would like to thank the director of the National Theatre Opera Jasmina Trumbetaš Petrović, who came to meet us, together with the opera soloists, and to organize a little surprise for the visitors of the market" said Vesić. "This was a wonderful opportunity to dedicate a few beautiful compositions to the people. We also wanted to support Italy in this way, a country which helps us a lot, as well as its people, who have always been friends with us" - Vesić emphasized and reminded that Serbia recently sent medical aid to Italy in support of the fight against the coronavirus.

The director of the Opera of the National Theatre, Jasmina Trumbetaš Petrović said that in this way the artists have shown solidarity with their colleagues from all over the world, especially from Italy and Spain, who, as she added, were the most affected by the coronavirus. 

"Artists can practice in their rooms, but what they give is a live show. That's why we cannot wait to stand on our stage, with the message that we will fight with all our strength to respect each other more" said Jasmina Trumbetaš Petrović.

She added that, perhaps, this quarantine has made us think as a society about some of our past actions and taught us to be better people.

All outdoor and indoor markets started operating after being closed due to the coronavirus epidemic. Markets will be open daily from 7 am to 3 pm, except on Mondays and on days when the ban of movement is in effect.
 
Voluntary blood donors active during the state of emergency
The Institute for Blood Transfusion Niš and Red Cross Prokuplje organized the blood donation action on 28 April 2020, the third one since the state of emergency was introduced in the Republic of Serbia, which is the eighth voluntary blood donation action this year.
 
According to the authorities in the Red Cross, 31 units of this valuable liquid have been collected, which is always necessary, especially during the difficult period in which we are. "The appeal and commitment of our volunteers have contributed to the response of regular donors, but also those who have just decided to become voluntary blood donors and thus contribute to saving lives. “

Voluntary blood donation actions are carried out with special precautions to protect donors, members of the Institute for Blood Transfusion Niš and Red Cross volunteers.




Association of Municipalities and Cities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina


City of Zenica, Decision on exemption of rent payment
Zenica Mayor, Fuad Kasumovic signed a decision exempting tenants of commercial premises owned and operated by the City of Zenica from paying rent for the month of April 2020. The decision applies to tenants who are prohibited from performing activities in accordance with the Order of the Federal Civil Protection Staff of 03/04/2020.
 
Intervention measures to assist the economy in the area of ​​the city of Capljina
At the 5th Extraordinary Session of the City Council of the City of Capljina, the councillors adopted a package of Measures to assist the economy in the area of ​​the City of Capljina due to the coronavirus epidemic.

This Decision establishes intervention measures to assist the economy in the area of ​​the City of Capljina, which are aimed at suppressing and mitigating the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic in the Federation of BiH.

Legal and private companies covered by the measure of prohibition of work based on the decisions of the civil protection headquarters are exempt from the payment of:

• rents for business premises owned by the City of Capljina,
• rents or fees for the use of public areas (tables in front of catering business premises, etc.),
• fee for the installation of billboards and / or displays in the area of ​​the town of Capljina,
• charge for advertising area - per m2 along the main road M-17 and M-6; along the regional road; along the local road through the inhabited places of the City,
  fee for placing advertisements on objects.

The payment relief applies to liabilities for a period of 3 months, starting on 01/04/2020. with the possibility of extension. To users of agricultural land owned by the City of Capljina (rent, concession), the amount of compensation belonging to the City of Capljina will be refunded for the period mentioned in the previous paragraph.

After this deadline, depending on the results of the analysis of the economic consequences of the prohibition-related economy, the City Council will consider paying these public benefits for the said period, by instalment repayment, as well as the possibility of partial or full exemption. These measures seek to ensure the liquidity of businesses in the area of ​​the City of Capljina and retain jobs.

This decision will be amended in accordance with the further development of the situation and the decisions of the Civil Protection Staff.





Union of Municipalities of Montenegro


Old Royal Capital of Cetinje established a Working Group for Impact Assessment of the Corona Virus on the Economy
The Working Group for the Impact Assessment of the Corona Virus on the Economy of the Old Royal Capital of Cetinje, comprising representatives of all political parties participating in the work of the local parliament and local government officials, held a constitutive session on 27 April 2020. The working group was formed by the Mayor of the Old Royal Capital of Cetinje, Aleksandar Kašćelan after considering the situation in Cetinje due to the virus pandemic, as well as the interest of local businessmen and other actors in public and political life for potential support measures.

In a constructive dialogue, the participants of the meeting exchanged views on potential support measures and agreed to submit a written proposal to the local government as soon as possible so that appropriate actions can be taken. It was also agreed that the Centre for Local Economic Development and EU Funds of Cetinje opens a special telephone line through which entrepreneurs and companies could be informed about the measures of support to the economy adopted by the Government of Montenegro and the Old Royal Capital of Cetinje. Link.
 
“Heart of Kotor” beats for the citizens of Kotor
Volunteering, tolerance, empathy, solidarity, a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction are just some of the characteristics that make volunteers stand out. They are the most important resource for implementing social change.

Since the beginning of coronavirus crisis in mid of March, “Heart of Kotor” volunteers distributed 1000 packages to those in need, had 250 home visits and transported citizens 240 times to their desired location.

"We help absolutely everyone who calls us. We are here to do everything we can to make this easier to overcome. It's hard for everyone, including us. Sometimes we would like to provide more, better and faster ... In addition to the basic goal of helping and transporting fellow citizens, we must not forget that we must all try to stay healthy, and all of us together have to bring this ship sailing for over a month now to a peaceful port" says one of the “Heart of Kotor” volunteers Ranko Borozan.

With the work and engagement of volunteers more than 3000 citizens of Kotor have received help and support so far.

Link.

 

  

Association of Communes of Romania


Students from Măgura commune will receive tablets for online schooling!
Given the latest decisions taken through OMEC issued by the Ministry of Education and Research on the instructions for creating and/ or learning the capacity of the pre-university learning system through online learning, the mayor of Măgura commune, Bacău county, Mr. Costrăș Iordache, decided together with the School administration of the "Emil Brăescu" School, to purchase 200 of tablets for all students, for a good development of the school curriculum.
 
The allocation of the amount needed to purchase was subject to the approval of the City Council on Thursday 30.04.2020.

• Plovdiv Municipality will exempt tenants from paying fees for sidewalk trade premises and establishments closed by order of the Minister of Health during the state of emergency. For this purpose, it is necessary to submit an application to the municipal or relevant district administration. You can see the text of the order at https://bit.ly/2KxqFlo
• Merchants and tenants of municipal properties that fall under the scope of the order of Minister of Health will be exempt from rent for the time they were closed. You can see the full information at https://bit.ly/35275XQ
• A two-month grace period for citizens for paying the first instalment of waste collection tax. Instead of 30 April, it will be due until 30 June. The second instalment must be by 2 November 2020. The period for using the 5% discount for paying the entire due tax for real estate properties and the vehicles is also extended by two months. This discount can be used until June 30.

• A Crisis Fund of BGN 100,000 has been created. Independent artists from all cultural fields in Plovdiv can apply for a one-off grant of BGN 1,000 to cover their basic expenses and needs in the months of the state of emergency. The procedure is announced on the website of Plovdiv 2019, section "Open invitations". In addition, Plovdiv municipality exempts from payment of rentals cultural operators, using municipal premises. They have to submit documents within a period of two months after the abolition of the state of emergency.
• “ONLINE SCENE - PLOVDIV" is the latest anti-crisis measure to support the work of artists in Plovdiv. The Department for Culture, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage has restored the adoption of documents under Component 3 "CIVIL ACTIVITY", and the procedure is only valid for events that can be realized and conducted online. The application package can be downloaded from the municipality's website in the Culture section, https://www.plovdiv.bg/, Component 3 "Civic activity".

• Sofia municipality will not collect “sidewalk fees” (fee for moveable objects in public areas such as sidewalks, parks, squares, etc.) from commercial establishments and dining establishments (restaurants and cafes), closed because of the state of emergency. Owners must submit an application to the relevant district administration. This also applies to establishments that currently operate only as food delivery.
• Traders who are tenants of municipal property will not pay rent for the time they have closed their facilities in connection with the state of emergency.
• Municipal tenants who are working but have incurred a 50% drop in turnover compared to the same period last year can benefit from a 50% rent discount.
• Facilities that are operational but have a turnover drop between 20% and 50% will be able to benefit from a 20% reduction in rent.
• A guarantee fund of BGN 1 million through which banks will issue guarantees for loans to self-employed persons and small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the crisis. Up to 50% of the principal of the loans at the amount of not more than BGN 15 000 is planned to be secured. Sofia Municipality will announce a competition to select a financial intermediary to provide additional loan guarantee coverage. This guarantee will be up to BGN 300,000 and with it guarantees can reach 80%.
• A two-month grace period for citizens of Sofia for payment of the first instalment for the waste collection fee. Instead of 30 April, the fee will be due until 30 June. The 5% discount for paying the entire amount due for property tax and a vehicle tax has also been extended by two months. This discount will be valid until June 30.
• 1 million BGN for ensuring the salaries in municipal clinics.
• Through the “Solidarity in Culture” initiative, Sofia municipality provides BGN 400,000 to support freelance artists and cultural operators.
• No fees for parking in blue and green zones until 4 May 2020.

• 90 million BGN less revenues for the first 4 mounts of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. The expectation is that part of the revenues will be compensated during the second half of the year, but others will remain at much lower levels than planned.
• Revenues and expenditures are decreased by 23.4 million BGN overall. At the end of July there will be a second update to the budget. The aim is to ensure the means needed for the construction of the third line of the subway in Sofia, the intercity ring, new kindergartens, nurseries, as well as for cleaning and healthcare.
• 7.3 million BGN less will be available for infrastructure objects. No construction projects are cancelled currently, just postponed in time, so that payments can be guaranteed.

1. The Project of Foundation "Give a Smile" is totalling 9 360 BGN and covers people made redundant or single parents. The project will cover 100 people who will receive food packages with basic products such as rice, beans, lentils, cheese, chicken, sausages, potatoes and others. In addition, fees for one-month internet access can also be covered so that children of single parents can have access to the online education process. Others will receive disinfectants and sanitizers, gloves and reusable face masks.
2. “Badeshte za Krepost" Association project is for 7 470 BGN, providing psychological consultations, shopping for people in need and packages of disinfectants and face masks for nearly 500 people.

The project of Community Centre in the village of Radievo is also approved. Through its implementation "warm lunch’’ will be provided to 45 people from vulnerable groups-elderly, unemployed and single parents for a period of 45 days. Besides food, disinfectants, face masks, protective clothing and medicines will be purchased. The value of the project is 10 000 BGN

         

Association of Albanian Municipalities


Several municipalities benefit ease of isolation measures as “green areas”
A group of French mathematicians and economists specializing in modelling random or uncertain situations proposed an exit strategy that mitigates the health risks of the first model, and the social and economic risks of the isolation model. This is consistent with other ideas such as maintaining restrictions only for high-risk groups.  The proposal is based on two main elements. First, the identification of green areas, i.e. areas where the sanitary system is functional, the rate of increase in infections is low, and future risks are manageable. And second, progressively merge in these green areas once this action is safe.

After March 9, when the first case of the COVID-19   virus in Albania was confirmed, the country went through a series of measures aimed at protecting citizens and preventing the spread of the virus. When the country is on the verge of completing a two-month period in isolation, with 30 people dead and more than 400 recovering, measures taken by the Albanian government have softened, allowing movement in some time zones. Schedules that are longer than at the beginning of this pandemic.

On April 24, the Albanian Government announced the application of some new measures related to the establishment of green areas in the country.
What are green areas in the Albanian context?

Green areas are those areas where traffic will be carried out without authorization within the allowed band, respectively from 09:30 to 17:30, except for the elderly. Within these areas, free movement and the exercise of economic and social activity given the protective measures are allowed.

Also, the identification of green areas, strictly prohibits entry and exit in these areas. The decision entered into force on April 27, 2020, and the green areas defined so far are:

• Municipalities within Region of Dibra;
• Municipalities within Region of Gjirokastra;
• Common areas of municipalities of Pogradec, Prrenjas and Librazhd;
• Common areas of municipalities of Saranda, Himara, Delvina, Konispol and Finiq;
• Divjaka Municipality.

Citizen-Oriented Municipal Services in Times of COVID-19 : The Role of Adaptive Learning
Governments are adjusting and handling legal and financial challenges arising from the COVID-19   pandemic to meet the needs of their citizens. A big challenge for municipalities has been to shift to online working modalities. The amount of change and adaptation may seem a lot.  Yet, as the experience of Bashki të Forta (BtF), a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)[1], shows municipalities in Albania are adapting to the ever-changing situation to provide services.

The project has facilitated municipalities to strengthen or introduce new ways of working and oversight. This has contributed to increasing transparency towards citizens and improving coordination for effecting actions. Adaptations, and the learning from the process, offer the opportunity to lay the foundation for improved service delivery well beyond the pandemic.

Read more on the following link.  
 
AAM publishes a newsletter highlighting activities related to COVID-19
The latest newsletter of the Association of Municipalities of Albania reflects the main activities during the period January - April 2020. As in the rest of the globe, great attention was paid to dealing with the consequences of Covid 19 pandemic, which came to Albania at the beginning of March with the confirmation of the first case of infection. The association has been constantly committed to being as close as possible to its citizens and local government, as well as to their international partners. Most activities during March and April have adapted to the new conditions of social distancing. For the rest of the period, efforts have been made to implement projects with the involvement of municipalities at the local level. The association has closely followed developments in law enforcement and legal changes regarding local autonomy.

To access the newsletter, please click here.



 Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia


Due to COVID-19 circumstances higher lump sums and other benefits for municipalities
At the session on 21 April, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia considered the proposed “Act Amending the Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Contain the COVID-19   Epidemic and Mitigate its Consequences for Citizens and the Economy (the ZIUZEOP)” or the “first anti-corona package”, and the proposed Act on Providing Additional Liquidity to the Economy to Mitigate the Consequences of the COVID-19   Epidemic or the “second anti-corona package”.

Among others, the proposed Acts amend the articles, which are important for the operation of municipalities such is the amended Article 94. Its provisions concern a release of the rent of public services to tenants in duration of pandemics and covering all operating expenses of municipalities due to a lack of these incomes.

Before, other provisions of different Acts were valid. An example is Article 49 of The Local Self-Government Act. In previous provisions was already foreseen an amendment of the Act that enables the remote meetings of municipal councils. In the Article 32 of Submission of ZIUZEOP an increase of 6% in 2020 for municipalities is determined, which represents 623, 96 euros. Therefore, in total municipalities will receive 70 million of euros. On the other hand, Article 34 of ZIUZEOP provides a clear legal basis for the exemption of the rent or part of the rent to tenants of municipal real estate.

There is a standpoint of Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia, that highlights the establishment of a new system, that would provide additional funding for municipalities, which have the highest loss of revenues and those, which have not already received enough funding until today for executing all legislative tasks.



Marmara Municipalities Union

 

Turkish Municipalities Met Their Bosnian Sister Cities During Corona Crisis
Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU) in collaboration with the Centre for the Development Relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIGMEV) organized “Turkey – Bosnia and Herzegovina Sister City Meetings” on 30 April 2020. Turkish mayors came together with their sister city mayors in Bosnia and Herzegovina in three subsequent meetings. As part of the meetings, Mr. Eyüp Yılmaz, Mayor of Lapseki met Mr. Salem Dedic, Mayor of Jablanica; Mr. Ömer Arısoy, Mayor of Zeytinburnu met Mr. Senaid Memic, Mayor of Ilizda; and Mr. İsmet Yıldırım, Mayor of Ümraniye met Mr. Sabahudin Klisura, Mayor of Fojnica.

During the meetings, mayors informed their counterparts regarding the recent situation in their country in general and in their municipalities in particular emerged with COVID-19. They shared information and experiences on how to tackle the challenges caused by the COVID-19   crisis. Mayors also discussed potential collaboration areas and projects.

Municipalities’ Activities for People Aged 65 and Over
According to statistics, older people are at serious risk of death and severe illness from coronavirus. These findings have prompted central and local governments in several countries to take measures to avoid older ones from being infected with the virus.

In the Turkish context, the government imposes a curfew for those aged 65 and over in order to isolate them at home. On the other hand, local governments have devised various measures to help the elderly at home to meet their different needs. Beşiktaş Municipality, for instance, has provided a device on which an “emergency button” is placed. The device allows its 75+ residents to receive direct and urgent physical and health support after a while they press it. Likewise, Sancaktepe Municipality supplied older people with the similar emergency device to support them in meeting their needs.

Sultanbeyli Municipality, on the other hand, is delivering hot meals to the elderly twice a day. The meals are cooked in the cafeteria of the municipality and then delivered to homes by responsible teams in accordance with the hygiene and health rules. Additionally, the municipality disinfects the homes of the elderly and meets their basic needs such as food and cleaning materials. Also, the support teams are making grocery and pharmacy shopping for them regularly. Kağıthane Municipality addresses the psychology of the older people at home and provides psychological support to those who are suffering from anxiety and boredom via phone.
 
Municipalities’ Unimpeded Service for the Disabled
The fact that the outbreak of corona crisis has impacted different groups in different ways often dictates different handling of the situation for each group. This is especially valid if the group in question is the disabled ones who experience the world differently. To ensure the protection of the disabled people against the varied impacts of corona crisis, several municipalities in Turkey have been taking measures which are specifically targeting the special needs of them.

One such example comes from the Support Centre for Disabled Children and Their Families at Sarıyer Municipality. The centre has prepared a roadmap to support disabled children and their families in quarantine to spend quality time at home. Within the framework of the roadmap, the families are provided with the psychological consultation by the experts who reach families in question through voice or video call. The centre is also streaming informative videos in its social media account. Saray Municipality, on the other hand, is delivering food to the disabled.

Eyüpsultan and İzmit Municipalities has addressed the special need of hearing-impaired people who have difficulty in communicating due to facemasks. The municipality has started to produce a transparent facemask specifically designed for those people to communicate with their environment through lip reading.

Some mayors have also been active in supporting the disabled in dealing with the situation. Alinur Aktaş, Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, met the disabled people through online platforms and listened their problems and ensured them that the municipality would take care of their needs.





Ongoing Activities

• NALAS e-Academy: Disaster Risk Management 
• NALAS e-Academy: Introduction to Asset Management in the Water Sector

Upcoming Events

• 11 May 2020, NALAS e-Academy: Introduction to Gender Mainstreaming at Local Level