The Interior Ministry elaborated a draft amendment to the law on the self-governments of regions, the aim of which is to give them more powers in the area of housing development. As in the case of municipalities, a program for housing development in regions should be established. Each region should procure, approve and coordinate the implementation of such a program.
The head of the Bratislava Region and chairman of the Association of Counties, Vladimír Bajan, thinks that the responsibility for the distribution of EU structural funds should be shifted from the Construction Ministry to the counties. He thinks that regions should not be given a marginal role in this issue. He pointed out that the Construction Ministry manages EU funds that are meant for regional development, which is why he believes the regions should be granted more powers in this field. Moreover, he said that regions would handle the EU funds more effectively. Bajan was outraged at the attitude of the Construction Ministry which is, in his words, unwilling to involve regions in the decision-making process concerning the distribution of EU funds. He disagreed with the statement that people from the ministry can handle the implementation of EU projects better than people from the regions do.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
