U.S. Ambassador Visits Sombor
September 17, 2010
State Department
State Department
On Friday, September 17, United States Ambassador to Serbia Mary Warlick made her first official visit to the city of Sombor. Ambassador Warlick met with the Mayor of Sombor Nemanja Delic and the Vojvodina Provincial Secretary for Local Governments and Inter-municipal Cooperation Dr. Tomislav Stantic. The Ambassador and the Mayor inaugurated a Citizen Assistance Center, which also serves as a One-Stop Permitting Center (CAC/OSPC), and a Tourist Information Center, both supported through USAID. USAID partnered with Sombor on these projects to help the municipality to create new and better jobs for its citizens by establishing a more business friendly environment which is able to attract new investments.
The American People, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), allocated $40,000 for the reconstruction of the CAC/OSPC, which will be one of the best equipped and the most technologically advanced in Serbia. The establishment of the CAC/OSPC in Sombor will help to increase the efficiency and transparency of the city administration in providing services to both citizens and businesses. Prospective investors will be able to receive relevant information quickly and accurately in one place, while the process of issuing all types of documents will become much more efficient. To date, USAID has provided technical and financial support to establish 40 Citizen Assistance Centers in Serbia.
Following the launch of the CAC/OSPC, Ambassador Warlick opened the Tourist Information Center in downtown Sombor and visited a reconstructed ethno-house in the Backi Monostor village, a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts and hunters from Western Europe. USAID supported the city's efforts to improve tourism in the area by providing a $90,000 grant for the reconstruction of the Center and the ethno house. The immediate results from this grant include the creation of 10 new jobs, while over 200 citizens are expected to benefit from the increased revenues that the improved tourism offer will generate.
Since 2006, local governments participating in USAID's Municipal Economic Growth Program have successfully attracted 1.4 million Euros in direct investments and have created 16,000 new jobs by taking a proactive approach to attracting and retaining new investors. The U.S. Government, through USAID, is committed to assisting Serbian local governments in their efforts to achieve economic growth, become more attractive to investors, and to create employment opportunities to benefit their communities.