Archive of articles - October 2013, page 17

Government allocates millions to Košice for infrastructure, security and business

The government at its October 2 travelling session in Košice agreed to set aside millions of euros from the state reserves and to commission ministers with helping the eastern-Slovak city with the various urgent problems. “We’ve allocated €2 million to financing what the regional government can’t handle any more either at the regional or local levels,” Prime Minister Robert Fico said, a quoted by the TASR newswire. “We’ve provided €300,000 for increasing security in the city, for surveillance camera systems, technological equipment and for increasing the number of police officers in the city.” He added that a number of other institutions including schools in the Košice area were also back with financial subsidies. Moreover, the Interior Ministry has pledged to support in both material and technological terms the completion and expansion of Košice city police facilities, in particular new police stations in the infamous Lunik IX housing estate and in Košice-Juh (South) borough. The Environment Ministry has been assigned the task of carrying out a detailed geological survey of areas vulnerable to landslides in Košice and the village of Nižná Myšľa and to draft a project aimed at redeveloping the sites. The ministry is set to spend €1.6 million in the process. The Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry, together with the Košice City Hall, will draw up a concept for remedying social problems at Lunik IX. It was also tasked with preparing a national project for drawing financial resources from the European Social Fund with respect to the activities of local community centres and social work. Furthermore, while €1.5 million should be spent on repairing the run-down bridge on Hliníková Street, another €2 million will go on reconstructing and modernising the Red Star outdoor swimming pool. The Ministry of Culture will support the sustainability of key cultural activities of Košice - European Capital of Culture 2013 (ECOC) – in the subsidy system for 2014-15 as well, the government decided on the same day. “The Ministry of Culture will create a special grant scheme for ECOC in 2014 featuring a subsidy system with one million euros allocated for the support of ECOC cultural projects,” said Culture Minister Marek Maďarič. “All 20 investment projects of ECOC have been completed as of today, together representing an investment of €60 million spent here in Kosice region,” Maďarič said. According to a ministry statement, keeping the project running will only be possible through multi-source financing that include private and public resources.