What was proposed
The city proposed treating a public-private partnership to establish, operate, and maintain an integrated security system in Belgrade as a project of public interest. The published description mentions security-management centres, an information and communications system for collecting, transmitting, and analysing data, including intelligent video analytics, plus mobile and stationary patrols. The private partner would finance construction, reconstruction, procurement, and part of the staffing and operational capacity from its own funds.
Why the proposal became disputed
The city justified the model by citing more public buildings, urban growth, and emergency risks; its document says a PPP would shift much of the investment, financial, and operational risk to the private partner. Opposition politicians and other critics cited by Danas and Forbes questioned the cost, the future patrols’ scope of authority, and the proposal’s justification. Their assessments and labels are critics’ positions, not an adopted city decision.
How payment was meant to work
In project documentation reported by Forbes, capital investment in the system was estimated at RSD 12.23 billion and average annual operating costs at RSD 6.55 billion. The city would pay a fixed monthly availability fee for a working system after monthly verification. The stated total of that fee was RSD 81 billion, about EUR 690–692 million, over ten years; Danas reported the figure as an estimate cited by the opposition. These are not approved costs: no agreement was adopted or signed.
Current status
As of July 30, 2026, the city assembly has not adopted the project. On July 24, it removed the agenda item because the relevant commission had not issued its opinion. Removal from the agenda does not by itself cancel the proposal permanently; it means that this consideration ended without a decision. Available sources do not confirm a private-partner selection, a tender, or a signed public contract.
Why it matters to residents
If the proposal returns and is adopted, it could affect how security and monitoring are organised in schools, kindergartens, and other city facilities, and it could create a multi-year commitment for the city budget. Until then, this proposal does not introduce new rules, patrols, or charges for residents.
The next open question
The key question is whether the city will return the project to the agenda after the commission issues its opinion, in the same or a revised form. If it does, residents can watch for an assembly decision and for publication of the tender terms, partner selection, and public contract. Those documents would show the commitments and costs the city is actually being asked to take on.