Ambitious Government of Sarajevo Canton: 40 New Projects Announced, 440 Million KM Needed

The Public Investment Program of Sarajevo Canton for 2016-2018, adopted by the Canton Government at today's session, is a document aimed at aligning development projects with real sources of financing. It is an instrument that enables better use of budget funds as well as better access to foreign sources of financing, given that budget funds are insufficient for multi-year project financing, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

The Public Investment Program 2016-2018 provides an overview of investments in projects currently under implementation as well as an overview of investments in candidate projects. Of the total 68 projects covered, 28 are in the implementation phase, and the remaining 40 are defined as candidate projects.

The total value of all projects amounts to 693,573,321 KM. Of that, the value of projects currently under implementation amounts to 254,372,818 KM, where, in addition to the Canton budget, joint investments with other levels of government, credit funds, and IPA funds are shown in certain projects.

Projects currently underway include: construction of primary schools in Hadžići and the Aneks neighborhood, construction of the Kumrovec Health Center, construction and equipping of clinics in the Central Medical Block, cardiac surgery, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, while the health sector is simultaneously working on introducing information technologies.

The program covered the current construction of roads in the Canton, the VI transversal, the A transversal, major repairs on buildings, facade and roof renovations, construction of the Family Counseling Center building, and numerous projects on the Olympic mountains. Among them are new ski slopes on Igman and Bjelašnica, a cable car from Babin do to the top of Bjelašnica, a snowmaking system, and renovation of the speed skating track. The construction of the Central Monument to the Defenders of Sarajevo is also a project that has found its place in the Public Investment Program.

Among the candidate projects are numerous projects of the Ministry of Transport, the First Transversal road, the Southern Longitudinal road, and the construction and modernization of the tram line, followed by projects of the Ministry of Health such as the reconstruction of the Pediatric Surgery block, reconstruction of the Psychiatric Hospital, continuation of construction and equipping of the Central Medical Block, and completion of the clinic in Ilijaš. It should be mentioned that the reconstruction of the Mirza Delibašić Hall, reconstruction of the pool at the Faculty of Sports, reconstruction of pumping stations, expansion of the Vlakovo cemetery capacity, and projects for the construction of water supply infrastructure are also projects that have been nominated for the list of projects for implementation.

The Government, according to the Institute for Development Planning of Sarajevo Canton, which prepared this material, left open the possibility of supplementing this Program if circumstances require it.