The total value of all new projects is almost nine billion kunas.
Despite the opposition from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the autumn will bring us the start of the construction of the Pelješac Bridge. The information was unofficially confirmed by the government, which points out that the project of a road link between Dubrovnik and the rest of the country is one of the most important projects co-financed by the EU funds, reports Jutarnji List on August 23, 2017.
The start of works on the construction of the Pelješac Bridge is just one of many projects which are scheduled to be launched by the end of the year. Additional projects are the works on the LNG terminal in Omišalj on the island Krk, which should be completed in 2019, the reconstruction of the existing and construction of the second railway track at the Dugo Selo – Križevci line, as well as the building of the new suburban rail section Gradec – Sveti Ivan Žabno. Among more notable projects is the continuation of investments in the Dubrovnik Airport, the building of the bulk cargo terminal in the Port of Osijek, the development of the waste management centre in Biljani Donji in Zadar County, and the establishment of a complete and sustainable waste management system in Šibenik County. For the realisation of all these projects, including the Pelješac Bridge, the co-financing from the EU funds has been approved in the total amount of about 8.8 billion kunas.
In addition to the money from EU funds, the investment drive will be helped by the activation of many state-owned properties. Among them, the most significant projects are tourist investments in former military barracks Šepurine in Zadar and Muzil in Pula. According to reports, the Parliament should debate the Law on State Property Management in September, which should facilitate the government’s management of the properties owned by the state. The Economy Ministry has prepared a new law on strategic investment projects that should simplify the procedure for obtaining the status of a strategic project. Additionally, seven more tenders for EU grants should be opened in September and October.
All this should further speed up the investment cycle and thus accelerate the growth of the economy. Another major project is the new round of digitalisation and construction of broadband infrastructure in 540 target settlements. For citizens and businesses, this will enable an even greater degree of digitisation.
Autumn will also bring the next phase of the restructuring of Agrokor, and the government explained that it wants to see an increase in the efficiency of the group and all its constituent parts. The government is also working on a five billion euros worth initiative for reprogramming debts of the road companies. The intention is not to create additional debt with this model.
Also, the government has already started working on the 2018 state budget, which could prove crucial for the expected increase in the credit rating. The state treasury revenues are filling in nicely, so the budget deficit by the end of the year should be smaller than planned, while the public debt will fall to 81.2 percent of GDP.
Translated from Jutarnji List.
