The Chinese government is very interested in investing in the electro-energy and water sector in BiH, said the representatives of the National Bank of Chine during a meeting with a delegation from the BiH Central Bank.
During the return visit from China, the hosts confirmed that there is great interest of the Chinese government for BiH and the region, as evidenced by the recently approved credit line of the Chinese government in the amount of 10 million dollars for 16 countries in the region, including BiH.
Officials from the Central Bank spoke about the challenges of keeping monetary policy during the global financial crisis and modalities for the progress of foreign trade between China and BiH, which was described as inadequate.
Representatives of the BiH Central Bank announced their readiness to be hosts of meetings with Chinese investors and local businesspeople in order to achieve more efficient contact and increase the volume of foreign exchange.
One of the main topics of discussion at the meeting was the economic situation in South East Europe in the last several years, with a special emphasis on BiH.
They also discussed microeconomic statistics in BiH.
Citing microeconomic data, the Central Bank Governor Kemal Kozarić indicated that the main challenges BiH has faced from the beginning of the 2008 crisis is a drop in economic activity, high unemployment at 28 percent, and slow economic growth with a low GDP.
“The positive aspect is that monetary and fiscal stability is preserved, which can be confirmed from the fact that the BiH banking system remained stable within the BiH economy’’, said Kemal Kozarić.
He said that he is looking forward to 2013, where positive shifts can be expected in economic trends, increase in lending activity and a slight GDP increase.
In addition to discussions on microeconomic development, representatives of both banks spoke of mutual cooperation within the framework of the Chinese National Bank offering its educational capacity in order to train employees in the Central Bank.
