Minister for Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nemanja Starović and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia Yakup Beris toured the site where the new building of the Centre for Social Work of Kikinda would be erected and marked the commencement of works. The new building of the Centre for Social Work in Kikinda would get support from the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, local self-government and the United Nations Development Programme in Serbia. Minister Starović expressed his satisfaction that the state-of-the-art building for CSW would be built in this city, and said that the value of the project was USD 1.7 million.

“The building will have more than 1000 square meters in surface area and be the most modern and functional CSW building in the entire AP Vojvodina, thus enabling far better, more functional provision of services to all CSW beneficiaries. In this way, we define new standards, but this will not be the end of our efforts. Today the works begin. The construction deadline is three hundred days and I am positive that, come next spring, we’ll see each other here again, when we will actually put this state-of-the-art building in operation,” said Minister for Labour, Employment, Social and Veteran Affairs. 

In late 2021, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and UNDP started the project entitled “Improving Social Protection Services on the Local Level”, in order to improve the conditions of work for the social protection system employees, as well as the quality of services for beneficiaries, especially vulnerable groups in local communities – persons with disabilities, senior citizens, women and children. This also contributes to strengthening the social cohesion in the municipalities and cities. 

UNDP Resident Representative in Serbia Yakup Beris have said that today’s ceremony not only represents the commencement of the works on the new building, but also making foundations for a brighter, more inclusive future of the local community. 

“Our focus is always on people. We have therefore taken care that this building is standardised and optimised, so that all citizens of Kikinda, and especially the most vulnerable community members, could have accessible and high-quality public services that they need. Also, employees of CSWs deserve working conditions in which the feel comfortable and safe, so that they could efficiently perform this admirable work,” emphasised Beris, adding that the cooperation with the competent ministry is very successful and to the benefit of citizens of local communities. 

For the new Centre for Social Work building in Kikinda, the city has provided the location and infrastructural conditions, while the funding has been secured by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs. It has been planned that the currently starting construction works for this new building in Kikinda will be concluded by the end of March 2025.