Jovanovic: Cacilend Generate Losses Amounting to Over Six Million Euros

Tent camp outside the Presidency of Serbia (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

Nikola Jovanovic of the Center for Local Self Government warned on Dec. 8 that as the public garage in Dragoslava Jovanovica Street had been blocked by the tent camp outside the Presidency of Serbia, better known as Cacilend, the public company Parking Service EUR1.3 million in profits.

The multi-story garage offering 470 parking spots beneath the Pioneer Park, has not been in operation since March 15 March, when the unhygienic illegal settlement Cacilend was established.

"An estimate by the Center suggests that the Pioneer Park multi-story parking lot alone has lost nearly EUR1.3 million alone. The public company Parking Service will cover this in its financial reports by introducing new parking zones throughout the entire municipality of Stari grad, as well as by charging parking fees on weekends. In my opinion, one of the reasons behind increased parking frees in Stari grad is to finance Cacilend," Jovanovic told BETA.

According to him, the largest expense incurred by the tent camp that has blocked traffic in the center of Belgrade are the per diem payments for extras and stewards in Cacilend.

"Unofficial estimates say the cost has reached nearly EUR5 million so far. Money for this is extracted from Belgrade’s utility companies using fictitious contracts," Jovanovic said.

Jovanovic could not calculate how much the daily presence of a large number of police officers and communal inspectors guarding Cacilend has cost, nor the damage suffered by drivers who for nine months have had to bypass the main traffic artery in Belgrade.