VIŠKOVIĆ: ONE MAN’S ARBITRARINESS STOPPING BORDER CROSSING OPENING DISASTROUS

BANJA LUKA, DECEMBER 11 /SRNA/ - The arbitrariness of Zijad Krnjić, a member of the Board of Directors of the BiH Indirect Taxation Authority, has halted the opening of the newly constructed border crossing between Croatia and BiH, i.e. Republika Srpska, said Radovan Višković, the acting director of the Republika Srpska Motorways Enterprise.

Višković emphasized that the most devastating fact for the Motorways is that, due to the arbitrary decision of one person, one of the most important transportation infrastructure projects in Srpska, the bridge over the Sava River near Gradiška, which was completed in 2022, remains closed to traffic. "It is hard to believe that, after this embarrassment with the delay in opening the new border crossing in Gradiška, Croatia will trust any of the partners from this side of the Sava River. The logical question is: until when will politicking and daily politics be prioritized over the interests of the people living in this country?" Višković stated. Višković finds it unbelievable that Krnjić has remained adamant in his stance of not agreeing to the amendments to the internal organisation regulations, thereby blocking the opening of the newly built border crossing. Višković pointed out that the bridge over the Sava River near Gradiška is only one of the projects that Republika Srpska and this company have implemented in cooperation with partners from Croatia and the EU. He reminded that Republika Srpska had waited 15 years for this bridge, as the first step in its implementation was taken on April 21, 2004. At that time, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH and the Ministry of Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure of Croatia for the preparation and construction of the Banja Luka - Gradiška motorway and its connection to the Motorway Zagreb - Lipovac, part of the Pan-European Corridor, in the area of the existing Okučani interchange. The new border bridge over the Sava River, with connecting sections to the existing roads on both sides, was identified as a key joint project. "Refusing to revisit the past and point fingers at anyone for the long wait, we will just remind you that a decade and more passed from the signing of that first memorandum to the start of construction," Višković noted. He added that during that period, cooperation protocols were signed, international expert groups were formed to prepare tender documentation, all planning and project documentation was prepared, funds were provided and all necessary construction permits were obtained. Višković said that in early 2019, it became clear that the end of the wait was in sight when the Ministry of Spatial Planning of Republika Srpska renewed the confirmation that the competent Croatian authority could issue a construction permit for the bridge, after which a tender was announced, previously prepared by the international working group. He pointed out that on July 16, 2019, an agreement was signed in Zagreb for the construction of the bridge, between the Roads of Croatia and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of BiH, as joint investors, and the selected contractor, a consortium of companies "Integral Engineering" from Laktaši, "Đuro Đaković Montaža" from Zagreb, and "Zagreb Montaža." The agreed value of the work was EUR 19.5 million, and the EU grant funds, which greatly contributed to the implementation of this project, were also approved. The commencement of work was officially announced on October 11, 2019, with a deadline of two and a half years for completion. Višković added that despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the contractor adhered to the prescribed deadlines, and the bridge was completed in the summer of 2022. For the final opening to traffic, it was necessary to build the access road from the Croatian side, as well as the new border crossing, which was completed in recent months. "When all the conditions were finally met for the opening of the new border crossings on both sides of the Sava River, which our bridge connects, we found ourselves in a situation where one person, without justification and reasonable cause, is blocking all the effort and work, all the expectations and hopes for faster, better, and more modern connections to the European transport network," Višković concluded. Višković emphasized that the Public Enterprise Republika Srpska Motorways strongly condemned this behaviour of the so-called expert on the Board of Directors of the BiH ITA, because his stubborn refusal to approve the amendments to the ITA internal regulations shows the true intentions of BiH regarding Republika Srpska and its desire to build modern road infrastructure and connect with the region and the EU.