Recently, the center of Odzak has received a new look with the reconstruction of the square, the construction of parking lots and roundabouts, and especially with the appearance of a small town hall, a cultural monument in the Moorish style. Although this environment has got a new look, it still cannot overcome its greatest issue, which is the emigration of the domicile population.
The center of Odzak changed its appearance by renovating the square, promenade, building roundabouts, and especially by completing the renovation of the Odzak town hall called Beledija.
”The renovation of the small town hall cost over a million BAMand we still have the unfinished interior work, but the facade is finished, everything around is over and we hope that it will finally be ready to move in this year,” Nada Culap explained, mayor of Odzak.
Namely, the increase in emigration that has gripped Odzak is increasingly felt by the lack of manpower in the Odzak economy, which is currently being filled by the surrounding municipalities of the Serbian entity.
”We were in exile, a lot of young people were already out there at the time. Now they are inviting their friends and relatives, so if young people can’t get a job right away, especially those who come from college, people go for a better standard and for better working conditions,” said Nada Culap, mayor of Odzak.
The opening of the international crossing and customs terminal in Svilaj was expected to create attractive jobs. Also, the customs terminal for the movement of goods will be opened, apart from those subject to inspections and goods subject to excise duties, the project of the customs and business zone has also been promoted, but no changes can be seen yet.
”We need to get full plans from the Urbis center by the end of the sixth month, and then we expect that the municipality of Odzak would then start opening and expanding and that it could finally get some income and jobs,” Culap added.
Odzak’s advantage because of the environment with the largest diaspora in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in terms of population in the successful post-war reconstruction, has now turned into the most severe issue due to the possibility of achieving better standards abroad.