Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister of Finance and Treasury Vjekoslav Bevanda signed three contracts in Sarajevo worth a total of 68 million Euros with a representative of the European Investment Bank (EIB).
An investment grant agreement was signed to finance the project on Corridor Vc, followed by a financing agreement for the Republika Srpska (RS) Water Supply and Sewerage Project, and a financing agreement for the RS Flood Protection Project.
Bevanda stated that the 19 million-euro grant (almost 40million BAM) was for the construction of the Zenica North-Zepce South highway, and that the funds were provided by the European Union. He explained that the length of the section is 2.8 kilometers, and that it includes a tunnel that is 2.4 kilometers long.
“Today we have signed a loan agreement on financing the project Water Supply and Sewerage in RS II worth 30 million euros, which should be realized from 2020 to 2024, and the repayment period of the loan is 25 years with a grace period of six years,” said Bevanda.
Head of the European Union Delegation to BiH and EU Special Representative in BiHAmbassador Johann Sattler underlined the EU’s commitment to assist BiH in the construction of Corridor Vc: “Recognising the benefits for BiH’s citizens, the European Union has secured more than €200 million in grants through the Western Balkans Investment Framework – WBIF to support BiH in this ambitious and expensive project. This EU funding will speed up construction of thirteen major connectivity projects in BiH, including works on the Gradiška and Svilaj bridges,” said the Ambassador.
He specified that the contract for financing the project of flood protection measures in RS is worth 19 million euros, and that the repayment period of the loan is 25 years with a five-year grace period.
“Today’s contracts are of great importance for the development of Bosnia-Herzegovina and once again I thank the representatives of the European Union and the EIB, and I wish the users to finish the work within the planned deadlines,” Bevanda stressed.
EIB Director for Slovenia, Croatia and the Western Balkans Mateo Rivellini said that with the agreements signed today, the total contribution of the European Investment Bank to Bosnia and Herzegovina is 2.7 billion euros (more than five billion BAM).
(Photo: vrisak)
