The City Administration of Zagreb presented today the budget for the year 2024. Rational management and the highest utilization of EU funds in history have enabled the City of Zagreb to initiate the construction and renovation of as many as 7 strategic projects in 2024.
– After two and a half years of responsible management, which resulted in the stabilization of finances, confirmed by global credit agencies that have repeatedly increased the credit outlook and rating of the City of Zagreb, we can direct the City Budget for 2024 towards the construction and renovation of as many as 7 strategic projects. These include the city library and the socio-cultural center Paromlin, the Špansko swimming pool, the Sports Hall, the Kranjčevićeva stadium, the Europa cinema, a new tram line in Sarajevo Street, as well as a new tram line in Heinzelova – said the Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomašević.
Mayor Tomašević added that this investment momentum has been significantly contributed to by the record utilization of EU funds in 2023 amounting to 150 million euros, which is five times more than the best result of the previous city administration, which withdrew 30 million euros in 2019.
The total budget for 2024 amounts to 2.53 billion euros, which is an increase of about 5% compared to 2.4 billion euros in 2023 (proposal II. rebalance, December 2023), and corresponds to the inflation rate during the mentioned period, which is also reflected in the budget in a narrower sense, amounting to 1.71 billion euros (1.62 billion euros in II. rebalance 2023). The planned budget growth mainly relates to inflation and the associated increase in salaries and material costs for city employees and city institutions.
Ensuring universal access to kindergartens
– As we promised in our election program, key areas of investment relate to schools, kindergartens, healthcare, social services, traffic infrastructure, waste management, culture, and sports infrastructure – said the Deputy Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Danijela Dolenec.
Deputy Dolenec emphasized the construction of as many as 10 kindergartens in 2024, along with 4 that will be built by the end of 2023, which totals 14 new kindergartens during the term of this city administration, thereby increasing the capacity of kindergartens by about 2,500 children and achieving the key goal of the city administration regarding universal access to kindergartens for all children in the area of the City of Zagreb.
Momentum in the area of green transition and social infrastructure
– Additionally, there will be 16 schools built, expanded, or renovated by the end of 2023, with another 5 by the end of the term, bringing the number of new and renovated schools during the term to at least 21 schools – emphasized the Deputy Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Luka Korlaet.
Deputy Korlaet added that as a result of successful management, the City will be able to strengthen the waste management system in 2024 by refunding the costs of building waste containers, installing all planned underground containers in the city center, and starting the replacement of bins on green islands with semi-underground containers throughout the city. In addition, the City will plant as many as 8,000 trees in 2024, bringing it very close to the planned goal of planting 20,000 trees during the term, which will be achieved in 2025.
