Implementation of projects in Republika Srpska (RS)

Mrs. Plavþiå meets with representatives of the World Bank

Banjaluka, 5 August, 1997 (AIM) - Mrs. Biljana Plavsic, RS President, met yesterday Mr. Semia Mitra, the vice-president of the World Bank mission in B&H in Banjaluka.

Mr. Rajko Tomaþ, Advisor to the RS president for the issues in economy, announced that the topic of the meeting was carrying out of the conclusions made at the Donor Conference in Bruxelles. He also announced that Administrative Board of the World Bank was to consider two projects from RS at the end of August, and these were project on education worth four million dollars, and project on transportation and traffic worth fifteen million dollars. In addition to these programs, it was also announced that nine million USD would be given for helping the budget, and which was to settle the problem of servicing of the foreign debts.

Mr. Mitra evaluated the conclusions of Donor Conference as highly encouraging and stated that donations planned for year 1997 were almost completely achieved. He emphasized that donors required full implementation of the Dayton Accord in order to get their complete participation in providing the financial aid. According to Mr. Mitra, WB is currently implementing seven projects including opening of the new positions for employment, building of the central system of heating, projects on microcredits and health services.

The representative of the WB announced several other projects, including a project for aiding the RS budget, which would partly refer to execution of changes in custom and tax systems, as well as privatization and development of the private sector. Mr. Mitra expressed his satisfaction with respect to the good will of Mrs. Plavsic to co-operate and help these projects. (end)