This year, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) marks 20 years of partnership with Serbia.
Since 2001, USAID has invested 882 million dollars to support Serbia’s economic and democratic development, which is part of the 1.2 billion dollars in total US government assistance during that period.
In cooperation with the Government of Serbia, the private sector and civil society, USAID has implemented thousands of activities across the country to improve living standards, create new jobs and support Serbia’s efforts to become a member of the European Union.
Existing USAID programs help the Serbian economy be more competitive; work to strengthen the rule of law; work to improve the capacity of state institutions to serve citizens; support free media and civil society; and help fight corruption.
USAID has also provided more than nine million dollars in assistance to Serbia in dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included the purchase of ambulances, medical equipment and test containers in cooperation with the Serbian Red Cross and UNICEF to help the most vulnerable families cope with the crisis.
USAID is proud to mark this extremely important jubilee and celebrate twenty years of partnership between the American and Serbian people.
“We are very pleased with the progress we have made in the past two decades and that we have managed to launch reforms that have resonated in all segments of society. In cooperation with the Government of Serbia, the private sector and civil society organizations, the USAID mission has implemented thousands of projects in all parts of Serbia to help Serbian citizens achieve positive change and great ideas, create new jobs and develop local communities. Over the past two decades, USAID has built strong partnerships that have helped us launch the reforms Serbia needs to become a leader in economic development and stability in the Balkans. We continue to create together in the period ahead,” said Susan Fritz, USAID Mission Director in Serbia.
Key results of USAID support since 2001 include the following:
In cooperation with local communities, we implemented 5,000 projects between 2001 and 2007. These projects, selected by the local communities themselves, included the renovation of schools, kindergartens and local communities all the way to the construction of roads and a bridge.
We helped establish the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) to establish a dialogue between companies, local governments and relevant state institutions to improve the business environment.
Through Opportunity Bank, we have ensured that micro and small agricultural enterprises get access to financing. They were granted over 785 million euros in loans, which helped them create 56,000 new jobs and keep 280,000 jobs. Support for agribusiness companies to conquer new export markets and succeed in them has brought new 120 million dollars worth of sales of Serbian agricultural products.
We helped 83 municipalities introduce e-government and established 32 Citizen Service Centers.
By working with the courts, we have helped them reduce the number of old cases by 50 percent and improve efficiency and transparency.
We have supported more than 500 civil society organizations to realize positive changes in their communities.
We have worked with over 250 media outlets to help them improve their professionalism and strengthen their financial sustainability, Mondo reports.
