Representatives of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Investment Framework for the Western Balkans (Western Balkans Investment Framework – WBIF) held an emergency meeting yesterday with representatives of the authorities at the federal and state level in connection with the construction of Corridor Vc and the situation in JP Highways of the Federation of BiH.
How he finds out Investigationthe international creditors clearly told BiH at the meeting. officials that there will be no new payments of loan tranches for the construction of Corridor Vc from European funds until the current management of the FBiH Highway headed by General Director Denis Lasić and Executive Director Asmir Dževlan is replaced.
The meeting was attended, among others, by the Federal Minister of Transport and Communications Andrijana Katić, who informed the delegation of European financial institutions that the Ministry had not received any official notice from Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić regarding the request for the dismissal of the Autocest administration.
Payment suspended due to investigation
Let us remind you that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank suspended the payment of loan tranches for the construction of Corridor Vc after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) launched an investigation against the administration of the Federation Highway due to suspicion of corruption and non-transparent spending of money from European funds.
After that, due to the accumulated debts and the inability to pay the contractors, the works on certain sections of the Corridor Vc have been suspended for a long time. As the Investigation previously announced, the Turkish company Cengiz officially informed the Highway Administration on March 21 of this year that it was suspending all works on the construction of the highway on Corridor Vc, section Medakovo-Poprikusa, subsection Medakovo-Ozimice.
“Despite the Contractor’s cooperation and two postponements, the Investor has not made the due payments to date. Without making the aforementioned payments, the Contractor is unable to continue the Works. Consequently, the Contractor hereby informs that the suspension will take effect on March 21, 2026. The Contractor will insure, protect and provide for the Works. The Contractor invites the Engineer to submit any special instructions regarding insurance, protection or temporary measures. All rights and The Contractor’s claims under the Contract and the Law are strictly reserved, including: default interest according to Sub-Clause 14.8; compensation for costs and consequences arising from the suspension, and all other contractual and legal rights”, it is stated in the letter sent by the representative of the contractor Cengiz to the General Director of FBiH Highways, Asmir Dževlan and the representative of the company Alem Kovačević.
Debts to contractors have not been paid
Despite the announcements of the Federal Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić that the debts to the contractors will be paid and that the construction will continue, this has not happened yet. At today’s meeting with representatives of the federal and state authorities, the delegation of the EIB, EBRD and WBIF once again warned that nothing will come of new payments and grants until the management of the Highway is replaced.
In the meantime, according to the information of the Investigation, due to delays in the realization of projects and delays in the settlement of obligations to contractors, huge costs have arisen for the state based on contractual penalties, default interest and fees for non-activated credit funds, amounting to around 90 thousand euros per day!
Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić, who did not attend today’s meeting with international creditors, said at the beginning of March that international financial institutions have no right to demand the dismissal of Autocest’s management.
“Neither they can, nor do they have the right to ask for dismissals. They can ask us to consider the situation, but in order to dismiss someone, you must have evidence. Otherwise, you enter processes where people sue you. It does not occur to me to answer for anyone because I did something that is not in accordance with the law for someone’s pleasure or to save someone from international financial institutions or previous administrations,” said Nikšić at the time.
