Nikola Jovanović, the director of the Center for Local Self-Government (CLS), evaluated the city budget proposal for 2025, which will be presented to the councilors, and highlighted that it reveals the full extent of Belgrade’s crisis. He warned that the budget would only exacerbate existing problems.
Jovanović pointed out that planned revenues for 2025 are 13 billion dinars lower than those for the current year, while key capital projects have been significantly reduced. These include important initiatives such as Patriarch Pavle Boulevard, the station building in Block 42, and the Makiš-Mladenovac regional water supply system.
Furthermore, Jovanović noted that since the Serbian Government has seemingly blocked the City from taking out further loans, the proposed budget for public transport, public utility companies, and preschool institutions has been severely underestimated. As a result, he forecasted either a budget rebalancing or imminent liquidity issues for Belgrade.
