The Ambassador of Switzerland to BiH Andre Schaller visited Jablanica yesterday with his colleagues on the occasion of the completion of the Swiss program for rehabilitation and modernization of the hydropower plant “Jablanica”, where he met with representatives of Elektroprivreda BiH and the head of the hydropower plant on the Neretva.
During the meeting and tour of the site, Ambassador Schaller, Director for Cooperation Joseph Guntern and representative of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland Mattia Cellio were informed of the most important results of the program and the achievements of Elektroprivreda BiH and the hydropower plant in the last period, as well as the further development plans.
Schaller expressed his satisfaction because visible results have been achieved in improving production capacity, in creating an economic environment that encourages investment, security of dams and improving the ecological aspects.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) began with a rehabilitation program in 1996 on the hydropower plant Jablanica in three successive phases.
The program was based on the important transfer of knowledge and the acquisition of high-quality equipment from Switzerland.
Wherever it was possible, the production capacity of local markets in hiring people and earning income was encouraged.
As part of this program, SECO made 49 million KM available.
As the project is commercially viable, the BiH Council of Ministers, Swiss government and Elektroprivreda BiH signed an agreement on the return of the invested funds in the amount of 13.8 million Swiss Francs in a special BiH Swiss Fund.
The resources from this fund are being used for financing the development of small and medium businesses and the housing fund in BiH.
The program resulted in increased production capacity by 25 percent, significant reduction in losses and disruption in the supply of electricity, which contributed not only to improving the quality of life, but also efficiency and competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises.
This contributed to the development of the overall power sector in BiH.
Switzerland, on behalf of the built partnerships continues to follow the further development of hydropower and the electricity sector as a whole.
The Director of the Project Implementation Edib Bašić and the Director of the hydropower plant on the Neretva Nijaz Begić received the Swiss delegation with his colleagues, said in a statement from the Swiss Embassy to BiH.
(Source: Fena)
