Post by Zvone on Jan 12, 2010 11:42:58 GMT -5
Planned projects got no financial support, while unannounced projects received tens of millions kunas.
Zagreb Mayor, Milan Bandic, claims that acquired social rights of citizens of Zagreb, their utility prices and the city transportation will all remain the same. Slavko Kojic, head of the City’s Department of Finance, confirms this and adds that the city's budget is stable and as full as ever.
In addition to this, Kojic expresses his disapproval of media reports on city’s finances, which he calls sensationalist and exaggerated. He says that the city still meets all of its outstanding liabilities and earns at least 100 million kunas every day, which is enough to quickly solve any outstanding problems. But is everything quite as idyllic as stated? Hardly!
More specifically, the data which Javno acquired shows that the budget money takes unplanned routes; that is, many scheduled projects have not seen the money they were suppose to receive for the year 2009, while others, get funds that are a lot higher than the budget predicted. Moreover, many of the works that were not suppose get any financial assistance received millions of kunas at the expense of projects that were planned.
Bottomless pit
For starters, one of those bottomless pits is the suburb of Sopnica Jelkovec. Almost all planned expenses in this area tripled and what was supposed to cost ‘only’ a few million kunas, ended up costing several dozen million. Instead of the planned 4,638,789.64 kunas allocated for the redecoration of squares and other pedestrian areas, this project used up 21,577,611.98 kuna. Costs on the Brigada Hrvatske Vojske Street rose from zero kuna to 6,095,437.20 kuna. However, record is still held by the money spent to solve the legal affairs and prepare the area for the future road where instead of planned 18,415,740.93 kuna the city spent 47,929,937.36 HRK.
Speaking of Sopnica, we will mention another discrepancy which will potentially make this area the most beautiful part of the city. The landscaping services, which were allocated with “only” nine million, received the amazing sum of 26,746,860.24 kunas.
Since the urban population is aging, it is only logical that we will need more burial places. However, it seems that the number of Sesvete dead increases at amazing speed because the city allocated non-planned 2,451,576.80 kunas for expansion of the Cucerje cemetery. The situation is similar in Vrapce where the city spent 3,846,490.16 kunas to purchase the land for the Upper Vrapce cemetery.
Upgrade of the Mirogoj cemetery’s administration building was not a priority
City budget was strained not only by unplanned expenditures in Sesvete cemeteries, but also by Sesvete roads. Sopnica-Jelkovac road was originally provided with only 300.000,00 kn, which later turned into 1,122,326.80; while the road to Iver ‘sucked-up’ 7,345,953.33 kn, in spite the fact that it was not planned by the budget.
Projects that received funds, even though they were not planned by the budget, include Koledinecka Street, Oporovecki street, and Vrbani III.
On the other hand, other projects, like the upgrade of the cemetery Mirogoj, did not get the funds they were planned to get. Out of scheduled 2,700,044.70 kunas, the project received only 810,013.41 kn.
Paruzevinska and Vurnovecka roads were a priority for the city fathers and they allocated 3.150.000,00 kuna for their rehabilitation, however these projects received absolutely nothing. Sveti Duh Street also received only 150, 000.00 kunas, even though it was originally planned to get 1,500,000.00.
Magic five thousand
Furthermore, it appears that five thousand kunas can get you anything you want in Zagreb. For example, the works on University Alley (estimated to cost 684.770,08 kuna), Marin Drzic Avenue (estimated to cost 3.400.000,00 kunas) and Grgicev Put (estimated to cost one million kunas), received only five thousand kunas each.
It appears that this figure has a special meaning in the City of Zagreb and that it comes with a bit of magic that can perform miracles.
However, in spite of these disproportionate amounts, we must admit that the City of Zagreb, did manage to save some money. Namely, in the year 2009 the city of Zagreb planned to spend 623.463,498.7 kunas, and it ended up spending only 502,559.776 millions. Nonetheless, there are two months left until the end of the year, so this sum may change.
www.javno.com/en-croatia/zagreb-mayor-dried-up-the-city-budget_279740
Zagreb Mayor, Milan Bandic, claims that acquired social rights of citizens of Zagreb, their utility prices and the city transportation will all remain the same. Slavko Kojic, head of the City’s Department of Finance, confirms this and adds that the city's budget is stable and as full as ever.
In addition to this, Kojic expresses his disapproval of media reports on city’s finances, which he calls sensationalist and exaggerated. He says that the city still meets all of its outstanding liabilities and earns at least 100 million kunas every day, which is enough to quickly solve any outstanding problems. But is everything quite as idyllic as stated? Hardly!
More specifically, the data which Javno acquired shows that the budget money takes unplanned routes; that is, many scheduled projects have not seen the money they were suppose to receive for the year 2009, while others, get funds that are a lot higher than the budget predicted. Moreover, many of the works that were not suppose get any financial assistance received millions of kunas at the expense of projects that were planned.
Bottomless pit
For starters, one of those bottomless pits is the suburb of Sopnica Jelkovec. Almost all planned expenses in this area tripled and what was supposed to cost ‘only’ a few million kunas, ended up costing several dozen million. Instead of the planned 4,638,789.64 kunas allocated for the redecoration of squares and other pedestrian areas, this project used up 21,577,611.98 kuna. Costs on the Brigada Hrvatske Vojske Street rose from zero kuna to 6,095,437.20 kuna. However, record is still held by the money spent to solve the legal affairs and prepare the area for the future road where instead of planned 18,415,740.93 kuna the city spent 47,929,937.36 HRK.
Speaking of Sopnica, we will mention another discrepancy which will potentially make this area the most beautiful part of the city. The landscaping services, which were allocated with “only” nine million, received the amazing sum of 26,746,860.24 kunas.
Since the urban population is aging, it is only logical that we will need more burial places. However, it seems that the number of Sesvete dead increases at amazing speed because the city allocated non-planned 2,451,576.80 kunas for expansion of the Cucerje cemetery. The situation is similar in Vrapce where the city spent 3,846,490.16 kunas to purchase the land for the Upper Vrapce cemetery.
Upgrade of the Mirogoj cemetery’s administration building was not a priority
City budget was strained not only by unplanned expenditures in Sesvete cemeteries, but also by Sesvete roads. Sopnica-Jelkovac road was originally provided with only 300.000,00 kn, which later turned into 1,122,326.80; while the road to Iver ‘sucked-up’ 7,345,953.33 kn, in spite the fact that it was not planned by the budget.
Projects that received funds, even though they were not planned by the budget, include Koledinecka Street, Oporovecki street, and Vrbani III.
On the other hand, other projects, like the upgrade of the cemetery Mirogoj, did not get the funds they were planned to get. Out of scheduled 2,700,044.70 kunas, the project received only 810,013.41 kn.
Paruzevinska and Vurnovecka roads were a priority for the city fathers and they allocated 3.150.000,00 kuna for their rehabilitation, however these projects received absolutely nothing. Sveti Duh Street also received only 150, 000.00 kunas, even though it was originally planned to get 1,500,000.00.
Magic five thousand
Furthermore, it appears that five thousand kunas can get you anything you want in Zagreb. For example, the works on University Alley (estimated to cost 684.770,08 kuna), Marin Drzic Avenue (estimated to cost 3.400.000,00 kunas) and Grgicev Put (estimated to cost one million kunas), received only five thousand kunas each.
It appears that this figure has a special meaning in the City of Zagreb and that it comes with a bit of magic that can perform miracles.
However, in spite of these disproportionate amounts, we must admit that the City of Zagreb, did manage to save some money. Namely, in the year 2009 the city of Zagreb planned to spend 623.463,498.7 kunas, and it ended up spending only 502,559.776 millions. Nonetheless, there are two months left until the end of the year, so this sum may change.
www.javno.com/en-croatia/zagreb-mayor-dried-up-the-city-budget_279740