Will the money from EBRD loans for four waterworks finally become operational?

At an extraordinary session of the House of Representatives of the PFBiH, to be held on Monday, four Draft Decisions on accepting debt under the Loan Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the implementation of the Visoko Waterworks Project, Sarajevo Waterworks, Plava Voda Regional Waterworks, and Gradačac Water Supply Project will be on the agenda.

Interestingly, the decision to accept the debt for Visoko Waterworks was removed from the agenda of the session of the House of Representatives of the PFBiH at the end of July at the request of the Prime Minister of the FBiH, Fadil Novalić. The Mayor of Visoko Municipality, Amra Babić, asked at the time in an open letter why this was done, and stated that this project would not be stopped regardless of the obstruction.

Construction began in mid-August, exactly one year after the EBRD approved 4.5 million euros for this project. The loan conditions include a three-year grace period and a 15-year repayment term. The water supply for 11,500 residents of Visoko depends on this waterworks.

Similarly, an EBRD loan of 25 million euros for Sarajevo Waterworks is pending, and it was previously stated that the money would be disbursed when both houses of the Parliament of the FBiH accept the Draft Decision on Debt. The money is expected to be disbursed in three tranches.

The loan funds are intended for the reconstruction of priority components of the water supply system, in order to reduce water losses and improve the overall efficiency of the water supply system.

It should also be recalled that at the last session of the SDA Presidency held on October 20, a call was sent to all representatives in the Parliament of the FBiH to adopt the necessary decisions for the implementation of financial arrangements related to the waterworks in Sarajevo and Visoko without delay.

A session of the House of Peoples of the PFBiH has not yet been scheduled, but it is expected that it could be held as early as the beginning of next month.