Skopje, 29 August 2024 (MIA) – The City of Skopje is yet to take concrete measures to address air pollution in the capital, Gorjan Jovanovski stated at Thursday’s session of the Council of the City of Skopje, whose agenda included an initiative of the Green Humane City group of council members on measures to protect Skopje’s air quality, stemming from the civil climate assembly of Skopje.

“The City has been saying it has no jurisdiction, noting that other institutions should act, and we agree. If the City wants to, it can launch cooperation with the other institutions, because air pollution is not a problem that should be tackled by only one institution. It is a joint fight. If 5,000 people, according to a latest survey, die from diseases related to air pollution in Macedonia, I believe it is not fair to say that there is no jurisdiction,” Jovanovski said calling for concrete steps.

SDSM council member Goran Shutarov said cooperation should be multisectoral because air pollution affects everyone. 

Welcoming Jovanovski’s activism, independent council member Irena Vitina said the City and the Council cannot force some institutions to take action, there can only be initiatives, as she said, such as the bill on municipal police.

“I do not agree that the City of Skopje is not taking any steps or initiatives,” she said. 

Chairman of the Council Trajko Slaveski urged utmost efforts to be made in the future with concrete solutions and measures because ”air quality affects everyone.”

In the meantime, the Council of the City of Skopje approved a proposed plan on amending the development programs 2024-2026. 

At today’s session, council members are expected to back the motion on employment of nearly 120 people in the municipal hygiene enterprise and pass a decision of redistributing funds for the JSP public transportation company.

Photo: MIA