Residential problems

Material situation and unemployment cause residential problems. Migrations that happened in the last decade of twentieth century brought about 500,000 refugees from different areas of ex-Yugoslavia to territory of Republic of Serbia. Most of them are settled down either around or in large cities in hope to find in them possibilities for better life. In the same period, large number of people from inland Serbia decided (from same reasons) to find happiness in big cities, which are regionals or states centers. This drove to paradox, that in inland Serbia some villages and some cities were half empty, without citizens or with older population, while in suburbs of big cities half illegal or illegal colonies were growing up, without communal infrastructure or without primary prerequisites for living.

Families of the perished warriors and invalids of war, who were coming in large number from the poorest layers of society, were found in specially hard position. On this field, state maybe done the most and is doing the most, because the program of building flats for war veterans, families of the perished warriors, and invalids of war is in progress on the whole territory of Serbia. Project sponsor is Government of Japan. An illustration and information can be the the fact that the major of Belgrade, Nenad Bogdanovic, and Minister Assistant for work, employment and social politics, Bozidar Simatkovic signed the Contract about realization of project “Social residential for invalids of war and families of the perished”. This project will be realized using Japan Government donations of 322 million dinars, which were approved three years ago. With this money, which Government of Republic of Serbia disposes, instead of anticipated 300 flats, only 206 flats will be built in Kikinda, Smederevo, Nis, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Kragujevac, Indjija, Loznica, Kraljevo, Leskovac and Belgrade. Building of 50 flats, in Belgrade community Kamendin, for invalids of war and families of the perished from the wars after 1990, is anticipated by this project.

Bogdanovic, Major of Belgrade, emphasized that this is significant donation of people of Japan to Serbian people, and that gesture should be appreciated, respected and remembered. He specially emphasized that the way of Japan Government cooperation, which cooperates only with state government, is very efficient and has been giving extraordinary results until now, in the whole Serbia and specially in Belgrade. Speaking to audience, Bogdanovic said that all arrangements which Belgrade is competent for and obligated by contract about preparing land, technical and administrative staffs are approaching to end. Answering to journalist question, where 94 flats had missed in three years, Minister Assistant Mr Simatkovic answered, that donation which Serbia and Montenegro state gained (which disappeared meanwhile), because of slowness, nonworking and obstruction in administration could not be realized earlier. Serbian Government is not responsible for that delay, because it did not have competence on state level, but now when the complete project is in charge of Ministry, it will be accelerated. Similar contracts have already been signed with other representatives of cities which got donation.