Skopje, 25 October 2024 (MIA) – The responsibility of the local self-government is to provide drinking water to the citizens. Our intention was to help because we saw that the local self-government failed to manage the process, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy, Cvetan Tripunovski, said Friday following Strumica's quitting from Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS) on Thursday.

The municipality explained their decision, citing an indifferent approach towards the city and its citizens during a period when they are facing one of their biggest challenges - drinking water - as well the rejection of Strumica's only project for using the Hungarian loan funds.

Tripunovski said that there is no political motive from the government in this situation, emphasizing that the Ministry’s only goal was to assist the municipality in overcoming the drinking water problem.

“In accordance with the law, it is the responsibility of the local government to ensures that the water received at the filtration state is drinkable before being distributed to the citizens, and I do not want to involve politics in this matter. Our intention was to help because we saw that the local self-government failed to manage the process. The insufficient investment in the filtration statement by the current and previous mayors of Strumica highlights their past action. This is not the government’s responsibility, it rests with the local authorities,” Tripunovski stated, answering journalists’ questions after today’s debate in the government, which focused on agriculture, local self-government and environment.

Minister of Local Self-Government Zlatko Perinski in an interview with MIA reiterated that there is no political interference in the allocation of funds from the Hungarian loan. He stated that the mayor of Strumica submitted a project that is already under tendering process and construction has started. Perinski also urged the mayors of Strumica and Karposh to act reasonably after they announced their intention to leave ZELS.

The Municipality of Strumica officially announced on Thursday that will leave ZELS, while the mayor of Karposh also announced the possibility of following suit. A press conference is set for today, during which the mayor of Karposh will provide further details.

Photo: screenshot