The European Bank invested more than 125 million euros in BiH in 2012 for reconstruction and development (EBRD) in 12 projects, 10 of which are private and two belonging in the public sector.
“The biggest project in 2012 was the first installment of funding for a section of the highway Doboj-Banja Luka in the amount of 75 million. The second installment for the same amount is being planned for this year”, said the Director of EBRD in BiH Libor Krkoška in an interview for the news agency SRNA.
He assessed that this is a very important project in BiH, which would connect Banja Luka with Corrider 5-C and encourages participation of the private sector by supporting the development the of public-private partnership in the highway sector.
In 2012, clients of the bank signed a contract for existing EBRD projects worth more than 400 million euros, and the disbursement of funds for the project amounted to a record 130 million euros, which is almost double the amount from the previous year.
One of the most significant successes of last year was the completion of the project “Mahovljanske petlje”, and the EBRD project that financed the Doboj-Banja Luka section of the highway proceeded rapidly.
“Contracts for the work were signed six months after the signing of loan documentation and contractors are now preparing to begin work during this year’s construction season. Much progress has already been made in the implementation of our second project with the Municipality of Bijeljina to expand the sewage network and the construction of a new facility for sewage treatment, which will have a positive impact on the standard of living for the citizens of Bijeljina”, says Krkoška.
EBRD plans to further expand cooperation with the private sector in 2013.
“We will focus on investments in energy efficiency and environmental protection, increase the competitiveness of local companies and support export-oriented projects and enterprises,” said the Director of the EBRD Office in BiH.
EBRD hopes that their insvestmenht in BiH will aid in the creation of new jobs, directly and indirectly in companies that are customers of the bank
“We will continue to support local, small and medium enterprises, as well as selected foreign investors, direct investment and credit lines to local financial institutions. In the infrastructure sector, we will continue to finance Corridor 5-C, and will also continue to invest in social infrastructure in the sector of water supply, sewage and central heating”, announced Krkoška.
EBRD will actively work on renewable energy projects, because in BiH this is a large untapped sector. EBRD is ready to lend support to governments in the privatization of the remaining state-owned enterprises as long as there is progress in this area, and will also support the entry of new foreign strategic investors.
“I am satisfied that the amount of funds that EBRD can provide BiH is increasing-last year the amount of our investment in the local economy increased by one-third in comparison to 2011. It is also significant that in 2012 we saw huge progress in the implementation of EBRDs infrastructure projects”, concluded Krkoška.
