SARAJEVO, Sept 6 (Hina) - Bosnia's Transport and Communications Minister Branko Dokic has for the first time openly advocated the announcement of a tender for the drawing up of a feasibility study for the section of the future
Budapest-Ploce highway running through Bosnia-Herzegovina.
SARAJEVO, Sept 6 (Hina) - Bosnia's Transport and Communications
Minister Branko Dokic has for the first time openly advocated the
announcement of a tender for the drawing up of a feasibility study
for the section of the future Budapest-Ploce highway running
through Bosnia-Herzegovina. #L#
In an interview with Saturday's issue of Sarajevo's "Oslobodjenje"
daily, Dokic said that the position of the country's authorities
was changing and that the private company "Bosmal" was far from
being chosen to build the corridor section.
"Due to the position of the public and current political comments I
believe it would be more useful if Bosnia-Herzegovina, rather than
Bosmal, financed the feasibility study," Dokic said.
The World Bank previously offered the country's authorities an
interest-free loan to finance the study, which is estimated at 7-9
million euros, however, the Council of Ministers flatly rejected
the offer.
The World Bank explained its offer with the need to avoid conflict
of interest which would be unavoidable if the feasibility study was
financed by Bosmal, which is directly interested in the highway
project.
Dokic also warned that numerous previous studies had shown that the
construction of the highway was not a profitable investment and
that it was up to Bosmal to decide if it wanted to bid for the
project.
Dokic reiterated that Bosmal had not met the basic requirement set
by the Council of Ministers, namely to obtain bank guarantees worth
300 million euros.
In a letter to the Council of Ministers, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad
only expressed readiness to finance preparatory projects for the
construction of the highway, which Dokic says is only one step in
the acquisition of bank guarantees.
At a meeting representatives of this bank and Bosmal held earlier
this week, the Malaysian bank required additional information to
insure against any risk.
Responding to the statement Dokic gave in Banja Luka on Friday, the
Bosmal management issued a statement claiming that it had met all
requirements.
The company claims that the letter of the Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad
proves that the bank is ready to provide 300 million euros but not
before Bosmal is granted a concession to build the highway.
Bosmal is now setting conditions and demanding a concession in
advance for a job worth three billion euros, although it has no
proof that it is capable of completing such a big financial plan.
(hina) rml