EU to help syria modernize municipalities management

The European Union is to offer a grant of Euro 18 million to Syria as to contribute in modernizing municipalities management project of total EURO 20,5 million that aimed at improving management of the main cities in Syria, a Syrian daily said today.

"The aim of the project is to contribute in developing the performance of local administration for big cities in Syria and therefore improve Syrians living standards," al-Thawra newspaper said.

The project will concentrate on six Syrian cities in the beginning as to be an example for wider application.

The cities are Aleppo in the north, Deir al-Zour in the Northeast, Lattakia on the coast, Tartous on the coast and Damascus the capital in the South.

" Modernization of the municipalities includes improving their environmental performance, and providing the best services as well increasing its financial administration effectiveness with the creation of an atmosphere that helps in creating job opportunities," the paper said.

At the governmental level, the project is to help in improving administrative expertise as well consolidating decentralization via recommendation to modify the local administration law.

In addition to the local administration ministry, there are other governmental parties that take part at the project like the council of ministers office, state planning commission and governorates of the targeted cities.