February 4, 2004

Embassy of the United States of America
Belgrade

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DONATES TEN SOLID WASTE COLLECTION TRUCKS TO PUBLIC COMMUNAL ENTERPRISES IN WESTERN SERBIA

On Thursday, February 5, 2004, Roderick Moore, Charge d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy Belgrade, will hand-over ten solid waste collection trucks donated by the people of the United States through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the municipalities of Ruma, Sabac, Vladimirci, Arilje, Uzice, Bajina Basta, Pozega, Krupanj, Mionica and Valjevo. The donation was made possible under the USAID Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program, a civil society program mobilizing citizens throughout Serbia to engage in improving their quality of life. In Western Serbia, the CRDA program is implemented through International Relief and Development (IRD). The hand-over ceremony will start at 12:00 noon on the parking lot in front of the Hotel Intercontinental in Belgrade.

A lack of solid waste collection equipment, and the high cost of maintaining the existing, obsolete equipment, is posing serious health risks to the citizens of towns where the municipality is unable to collect solid waste. The citizens of ten municipalities, participating in the CRDA program, have identified solid waste collection as a community and environmental priority. Through the CRDA program, citizens have designed three types of projects to address the issue: 1) environmental education through schools, 2) public works to clean local communities, and 3) provision of new garbage trucks and containers for solid waste collection and disposal that will support public communal enterprise service-delivery.

The donation will increase municipalities’ disposal capacity by up to 30% compared to the previous year. Envisioned results include improved communal service delivery, reduced dumping and related health risks and environmental problems, and lower disposal costs due to increased efficiency. The donation also means new jobs for drivers and operators. The total value of the donated equipment is $1 million. USAID provided $818,641, the remainder was provided by the public communal enterprises of the municipalities, in cash.

CRDA is a five-year, $200 million USAID program working throughout Serbia since 2001. CRDA mobilizes citizens to engage in improving the quality of their lives, promotes economic development and job creation and builds mutual trust between the citizens and government.

Press interested in covering the hand-over ceremony should be in the lobby of Hotel Intercontinental on Thursday, February 5, no later than 11:30 p.m. For additional information please contact Betina Moreira at USAID on 063-398-711 or Irena Chatzis at IRD on 063 7 248 997.

Moore - Mihajlov: Roderick Moore, Charge d'Affaires, US Embassy, Belgrade and Andjelka Mihajlov, Minister of Environmental Protection

Mur- Mihajlov: Roderik Mur, otpravnik poslova ambasade SAD u Beogradu i Anđelka Mihajlov, Ministar za zaštitu prirodnih bogatstava i životne sredine Srbije

On board: Roderick Moore, Charge d'Affaires, US Embassy Belgrade and Andjelka Mihajlov, Minister of Environmental Protection testing equipment

U kabini: Roderik Mur, otpravnik poslova ambasade SAD u Beogradu i Anđelka Mihajlov, Ministar za zaštitu prirodnih bogatstava i životne sredine Srbije testiraju vozilo

Meet the press: Roderick Moore, Charge d'Affaires, US Embassy Belgrade, comments on the value of civic action and the CRDA program

Izjava za medije: Roderik Mur, otpravnik poslova ambasade SAD u Beogradu objašnjava medijima principe građanske inicijative i CRDA programa

Trucks: 10 solid waste collection trucks donated to municipalities in Western Serbia

Kamioni: 10 kamiona za odvoženje čvrstog otpada poklonjeni opštinama u zapadnoj Srbiji

Handover: Roderick Moore, Charge d'Affaires, US Embassy Belgrade, delivers truck keys to the Directors of Public Communal Enterprises

Primopredaja: Roderik Mur, otpravnik poslova ambasade SAD u Beogradu uručuje ključeve kamiona direktorima JKP-a

Groupshot: Roderick Moore, US Embassy, Andjelka Mihajlov, Minister of Environmental Protection, Mayor Micovic (Arilje), Jesse Bunch (IRD), and Communal Enterprise Directors

Zajednička forografija: Roderik Mur, otpravnik poslova ambasade SAD, Anđelka Mihajlov, Ministar za zaštitu prirodnih bogatstava i životne sredine Srbije, predsednik opštine Arilje Mićović, Džesi Banč (IRD) i direktori JKP-a

4. februar 2004.

Ambasada Sjedinjenih Američkih Država
Beograd

SJEDINJENE AMERIČKE DRŽAVE POKLANJAJU DESET KAMIONA ZA ODVOŽENJE ČVRSTOG OTPADA JAVNIM KOMUNALNIM PREDUZEĆIMA U ZAPADNOJ SRBIJI

U četvrtak, 5. februara, 2004. godine, Roderik Mur, otpravnik poslova ambasade SAD u Beogradu, predaće deset kamiona za odvoženje čvrstog otpada, koji su poklon naroda SAD opštinama Ruma, Šabac, Vladimirci, Arilje, Užice, Bajina Bašta, Požega, Krupanj, Mionica i Valjevo ostvaren preko Američke agencije za međunarodni razvoj (USAID). Donaciju je realizovala Američka agencija za međunarodni razvoj (USAID) kroz program Revitalizacija zajednica kroz demokratsku akciju (CRDA), civilni program kojim se građani širom Srbije angažuju na unapređenju kvaliteta života. U zapadnoj Srbiji CRDA program sprovodi Organizacija za međunarodnu pomoć i saradnju (IRD). Ceremonija primopredaje počeće u 12:00 časova na platou ispred hotela Interkontinental u Beogradu.

Nedostatak opreme za odvoženje čvrstog otpada i visoki troškovi održavanja postojeće, zastarele opreme, predstavljaju ozbiljnu opasnost po zdravlje stanovnika u opštinama koje nisu u mogućnosti da uklanjaju čvrsti otpad. Građani deset opština koje učestvuju u programu CRDA prepoznali su problem upravljanja čvrstim otpadom kao prioritet svoje zajednice i ekološki prioritet. Putem CRDA programa, građani su u cilju rešavanja problema osmislili tri tipa projekata: 1) obrazovanje u oblasti ekologije, 2) javne radove čišćenja lokalnih zajednica i 3) obezbeđenje novih kamiona i kontejnera za sakupljanje i odlaganje čvrstog otpada kojim će javna komunalna preduzeća obezbediti bolje usluge.

Uz pomoć poklonjene opreme, u pojedinim opštinama će se kapacitet odlaganja čvrstog otpada povećati i do 30% u odnosu na prethodnu godinu. Donacija će doprineti većoj efikasnosti usluga komunalnih preduzeća, suzbijanju divljih deponija i opasnosti po zdravlje i okolinu kao i smanjenju troškova uklanjanja otpada. Pored toga, donacija će omogućiti otvaranje novih radnih mesta za vozače i rukovaoce. Ukupna vrednost poklonjene opreme je milion američkih dolara. Učešće USAID-a iznosi 818.641 dolara dok su ostatak sredstava obezbedila javna komunalna preduzeća.

CRDA je petogodišnji program USAID-a koji se sprovodi širom Srbije od 2001. godine. CRDA pokreće građane da se lično angažuju na unapređenju kvaliteta života, promoviše ekonomski razvoj i nova radna mesta i gradi poverenje između građana i vlasti.

Zainteresovani novinari treba da budu u holu hotela Interkontinental u četvrtak, 5. februara, u 11:30 časova. Za dodatne informacije molimo kontaktirajte Betinu Moreira iz USAID-a na 063 398 711 ili Irenu Chatzis iz IRD-a na 063 7 248 997.