ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - The European Investment Bank (EIB), a developmental bank owned by European Union member states, invested a total of EUR146 million of loan resources in Croatia last year through two projects of traffic
infrastructure and three global loans to the Croatian banking sector. Most of the funds, EUR60 million, is intended for the Croatian Roads company for the reconstruction of roads. The overall value of the project in EUR122 million, and includes the reconstruction and modernisation of 450 kilometres of state roads in the country, mostly on the Adriatic tourist roads -- from the Slovene to the Montenegrin borders. The loan agreement also envisages the possibility of ordering a study for solving the Rijeka and Split highway junctions, which would create the possibilities of new loan arrangements with the EIB. The loans were granted at the end of last year,
ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - The European Investment Bank (EIB), a
developmental bank owned by European Union member states, invested
a total of EUR146 million of loan resources in Croatia last year
through two projects of traffic infrastructure and three global
loans to the Croatian banking sector.
Most of the funds, EUR60 million, is intended for the Croatian Roads
company for the reconstruction of roads. The overall value of the
project in EUR122 million, and includes the reconstruction and
modernisation of 450 kilometres of state roads in the country,
mostly on the Adriatic tourist roads -- from the Slovene to the
Montenegrin borders.
The loan agreement also envisages the possibility of ordering a
study for solving the Rijeka and Split highway junctions, which
would create the possibilities of new loan arrangements with the
EIB. The loans were granted at the end of last year, with an annual
interest rate of 5.1 percent, 20 year maturity and a five-year grace
period.
In the middle of last year the EIB granted EUR40 million to Croatian
railways (HZ) for the reconstruction of the railway on the Pan-
European 5th Corridor, with a 20-year maturity, including the five-
year grace period, and the annual interest percentage calculated by
LIBOR + 0.25 to 0.30 percent.
The EIB funds are only a part of the overall EUR96.62 million
necessary for the financing of the project of reconstruction of the
Croatian section of the railway on the Budapest-Osijek-Sarajevo-
Plocwe corridor, stretching for 123 kilometres (100km from the
Hungarian border to Samac and 23km from Metkovici to Ploce).
The biggest of the three credits, to the banking sector, amounting
to EUR20 million, was granted by the EIB to the HVB Bank Croatia. It
is a global loan intended for loans for restructuring, which are
normally granted to areas of local infrastructure, and investments
plans of Croatian middle-scale companies which the EIB is granting
to banks-partners under so they could offer long-term loans under
more favourable conditions. This was also the first global loan the
EIB granted on the Croatian market.
The global loan of 16 million euros intended for the private sector
for financing small and middle-scale businesses was granted by the
EIB to the Privredna Banka Zagreb by the end of last year. Out of the
funds, the PBZ will be granting long-term loans for small and
middle-scale entrepreneurship, mainly in industry, tourism,
services and infrastructure projects, under conditions it itself
sets.
Loan funds granted last year by the EIB to the Croatian Bank for
Reconstruction and Development are intended for the same. A total
of EUR10 million was granted with a fixed annual interest rate of 4
to 4.5 percent and with a 12 (for small and middle-scale companies)
and 15 year (for infrastructure projects) maturity rates.
Increasing the Bank's loan portfolio would make it possible for
satisfying the need for long-term loans to small and middle-scale
companies, which should bear significant advantages to Croatia's
reconstruction and development.
(hina) lml sb