Lower Poland to pioneer participatory budgeting scheme

Marek Sowa, marshall of the voivodship, announced that in 2016 as much as PLN 6 million will be divided between five subregions in Lower Poland and Kraków. "We are the first region, which has introduced a participatory budget at a voivodship level. We want to realize projects on a district level to a value of PLN 100,000 and on subregional level at PLN 300,000. The projects have pro-social, cultural, educational, sports and touristic aims," Sowa informed. Regulations will allow inhabitants of full age to propose projects for participatory budgeting if at least 15 people support it. The appropriate department will check whether the projects comply with legal formalities, to the voivodship's competences and duties. Each project must also be practical and within realistic budget constraints .