An IMF mission will start a 10-day visit to Bosnia on Wednesday to discuss whether to unfreeze a loan deal that was halted in September over politicians’ failure to implement agreed economic policies.
It is unclear however if the International Monetary Fund will be able to conclude the eighth review of its loan given that Bosnia has yet to form its multi-layered governments after an October general election, leaving 2015 budgets in limbo.
Bosnia’s two impoverished autonomous regions, the Serb Republic and the Federation dominated by Bosniaks and Croats, need the IMF cash to fill their respective budget gaps that have widened after historic floods in May.
The lender approved a two-year 380 million euro ($475 million) standby arrangement for Bosnia in September 2012, and last year enlarged it by around 150 million euros and extended it for another nine months to help avert social hardship.
(Source: reuters)
