Kragujevac, Sokobanja, Vranje and Vrnjačka Banja awarded for best practice examples in local government

During September and October 2023, representatives of Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) presented the City of Kragujevac, City of Vranje, Municipality of Sokobanja and Municipality of Vrnjačka Banja with IT and other technical equipment as an award for best town/municipal administration in 2022, within the Public Call implemented by the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government in partnership with SCTM.

The City of Kragujevac won the award for best practice in the category of administrative efficiency and effectiveness, the Municipality of Sokobanja for transparency and public participation in the work of local self-government, the City of Vranje in the category of responsibility and the rule of law, and the Municipality of Vrnjačka Banja for achievements in the field of equality and anti-discrimination.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government awarded the winners with financial resources within the Program for Support in Development and Functioning of the Local Self-Government System in the total amount of 10 million dinars. In addition to these funds, and in order to provide additional support for the development and application of the principles of good management in the work of local self-governments, SCTM donated equipment based on the proposed purpose for the use of funds by the awarded towns and municipalities. The total value of the SCTM award amounts 4.5 million dinars, which is distributed in equal amounts of 1,125,000 RSD among four winners of the competition.

The annual national award for the selection of the best town/municipal administration in the application of the principles of good governance at the local level was established in 2018, at the initiative of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and SCTM, with the support of the Swiss Government. From 2023, the awarding is implemented within the project "Partnership for Good Local Self-Government", which is supported by the Swiss Government.