As part of the German government’s initiative to support public utilities and local governments in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, GIZ handed over protective equipment and disinfectants to the Association for Water Protection and Preservation of Southern Serbia (WASS). These equipment and funds are intended for distribution in 28 public utility companies, members of this Association.
The total value of the packages awarded so far in Serbia is 67 thousand euros, which will enable the communal services to provide the citizens with appropriate services and answers to high hygiene standards in the protection of employees, jobs, and public areas. The manager of GIZ of the Open Regional Fund for Southeast Europe – Modernization of Municipal Services, Mr. Peter Wolf, stated that due to the coronavirus pandemic, municipal services and public utility companies are under more pressure than ever to provide adequate services while maintaining high hygiene standards. „We want to give special support to public utilities in the fight against the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus in the form of protective equipment and means to be able to provide adequate service and respond to high hygiene standards in the protection of plants, workplaces, public areas and of course to in the best way they could protect the workers. ”Added Mr. Peter Wolf. The President of the Association for Water Protection and Preservation of Southern Serbia (WASS), Dr. Miloš Đorđević, expressed gratitude on behalf of all 28 companies for the donation, which is especially important because it happens at a time when the epidemic situation caused by COVID-19 is the worst pandemics.
The most important aspect of such support is that its direct positive effects will be felt by the citizens because the quality of communal services directly affects the quality of life of the citizens. Utility companies make great efforts in their work and functioning in order to provide hygienically correct drinking water and deliver all other community services that are extremely important for normal functioning, especially in such situations. Support packages include personal protective equipment, suits, disinfectants, masks, gloves, boots, sprays, and visors.
This is a regional initiative within the framework of German development cooperation, and the total value of support to public utility companies in combating the COVID-19 pandemic for all six countries of the Western Balkans is 400,000 euros. The equipment was supplied by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the Open Regional Fund for Southeast Europe – Modernization of Municipal Services.
