Albana Koçiu, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, urged the mayors to submit applications for funding from the Social Fund, a crucial tool for establishing new services and expanding existing ones.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, State Minister for Local Government Arbjan Mazniku, and Defense Minister Pirro Vengu attended the meeting with mayors. Minister Koçiu said that in its five years of existence, the Social Fund has been successful as a crucial financial instrument that ensures co-financing between the federal government and local governments to provide essential social services in the region for those in need.
“If we refer to five years ago, in 2018 we had almost 27 municipalities without centers for municipal social services. Today, all 61 municipalities in the country offer at least one social service. This fund has made it possible to establish 73 services for 33,000 beneficiaries in 54 municipalities and 8 districts, with 581 employees,” she said.
Koçiu emphasized that the Social Fund lists the categories of services: 18 integrated community services that include home services for the elderly and mobile services for people with disabilities; 32 multifunctional centers that serve all groups in need; 4 emergency services, mainly for abused women or children in dangerous situations; 17 specialized services at the district level; and 2 assistance services for the elderly in need.
Minister Koçiu urged mayors to apply for this social mechanism by October 25th, announcing that the next call for the Social Fund for 2025 had been launched. She underlined the importance of providing missing and innovative services.
“I would encourage municipalities to submit their proposals to the Social Fund if they haven’t already.” Fifteen municipalities have not applied yet and have not received any benefits from the Social Fund during the previous five years. We would like to guide them, taking into account the fact that we have developed and have ready a digital map of the needs for social services, and each of you can assess the missing services or the need to expand social services, focusing primarily on mental health, community services, and residential services for isolated elderly people; services for adults with autism spectrum disorders and disabilities over the age of 21; services for women and children in risky situations, as well as strengthening cooperation for the provision of social services for several border municipalities,” said Minister of Health and Social Protection Albana Koçiu.