Skopje, 10 July 2023 (MIA) – After Monday's emergency session of the Skopje Planning Region Council, mayors of Skopje municipalities announced that they will file criminal charges if the waste collection enterprise Komunalna Higiena does not disband and hand over operations and mechanization to the municipalities.

The criminal charges for endangering citizens' health against the Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska will be filed if the Drisla landfill does not lift its ramps for the waste collection trucks with which the municipalities collect the waste themselves after the protest staged by the employees of Komunalna Higiena Skopje, the mayors said.

During Monday's session on communal hygiene in Skopje, the mayors decided to request a report from the City of Skopje on the situation on communal hygiene, as well as a recommendation to the City of Skopje to review the situation and take measures for immediate action by Komunalna Higiena in resolving the problem and an initiative for municipalities to take over the mechanization for the maintenance of communal hygiene.

Kisela Voda Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski said the stance over disbanding Komunalna Higiena and handing over operations and mechanization to municipalities is a joint stance.

"That was agreed upon by the Mayor herself a few months ago, who presented the same stance at one of the meetings, that Komunaln Higiena should be dissolved and give over operations to us. We believe that with fewer resources for what citizens’ pay, we can provide a much better quality of service than the one they have offered so far," Gjorgjievski noted.

Aerodrom Mayor Timcho Mucunski said that after consultations with the other mayors, they decided that as a municipality they do not have the capacities, or financial resources as Skopje does, to resolve this issue.

Goran Gerasimovski, Mayor of Centar municipality, pointed out it was a matter of a problem shared by all, and it should not be politicized.

"It is about the citizens and their health, so we should find a solution soon. The solution is to change the situation in the city as soon as possible together with the waste collection enterprise and its employees," Gerasimovski added.

He also noted that on Monday morning he had spoken with the director of Drisla, who has said that an agreement would be made, and they will have it during the day.

The mayors request that all the waste be collected until a solution is found, and the landfill's ramps need to be lifted immediately so that mechanization can continue to work.

The session also concluded that the Skopje Planning Region will call on the Government to get involved if the issue cannot be resolved on the level of the City of Skopje.

Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska did not attend the emergency session, and neither did Stevcho Jakimovski - Karposh Mayor, Kosta Manevski - Zelenikovo Mayor, Sashko Komnenovikj - Chucher Sandevo Mayor, Blerim Bexheti - Saraj Mayor and Visar Ganiu - Chair Mayor.

The meeting of the Skopje Planning Region Council was held as the capital was covered in waste after the protest, whereat employees of Komunalna Higiena demanded higher salaries, and reinstatement of co-workers who have been laid off. A press conference was scheduled on Monday at 1pm by Komunalna Higiena director Kosana Nikolikj Mazneva. ssh/nn/