Nezavisne novine: The representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH and the European Bank for Renovation and Development (EBRD) have signed yesterday the contract on loan of 180 million Euros for building four sections of the highway on the corridor 5C through the FBiH.
Money from the credit which the EBRD has approved not so long ago, will be used for building the sections: Kakanj – Zenica, Vlakovo – Tarčin, Počitelj – south border with Croatia and Odžak – northern border of BiH with Croatia. By the contract, the deadline for payment of 180 million Euros is 15 years with a grace period of seven years and the interest rate of 7%. Money of the EBRD, as they have said from the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH, should soon be operational, and building the first section should start in spring next year.
Peter Rajniger, the director of the EBRD business group for the South-East Europe, West Balkans and telecommunications, has said after signing the contract how the BiH governments must as soon as possible adopt the new accise on gas, which is a condition for building the corridor 5C.
"This is not a popular move, but without it, BiH will not be able to start the realization of this project", Rajniger has said.
120 million Euros more in a year
Su Beret, director of the Transport team of the EBRD, has announced that the EBRD will next year probably with about 120 million Euros support three projects in BiH.
Dragan Vrankić, Minister for Finance and Treasury of BiH, has said how the initiative for introduction of the accise on gas has started.
"According to our estimations, it will be 10 pfennig per liter of gas, which is 100 to 120 million KM per year", Vrankić added.
Nail Šećkanović, Minister of Traffic and Communications of the FBiH, expects that all four sections on the corridor 5C through the FBiH will be done by the end of 2012.
Vrankić has said how the credit of the EBRD, for which have yesterday been signed three "accompanying" contracts, will not be a big burden for BiH. He also said how for the further development of the infrastructure in BiH, cooperation between the private and public sector is necessary. Signing the contract with the EBRD has also been attended by the president of the FBiH, Borjana Krišto and the Minister of Finance of the FBiH, Vjekoslav Bevanda.
"We will deliberate the project of building the regional way Foča – Hum in the RS, which will connect BiH and Montenegro, project of support to the International airport in Sarajevo, but also the projects of support to other regional airports in this country", Beret has said.