Investing in infrastructure has yielded good results in the previous year, and Serbia has entered the fifth gear in this area greatly, it was said at the panel “Infrastructure development in the region – a prerequisite for stronger connectivity” at the Kopaonik Business Forum.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Construction Aleksandra Damnjanovic said that last year was completed with good results in infrastructure and that 130 km of new highways were put into operation after three decades.
She also noted that Corridor 10 was completed on both sides, as well as a large section of the Milos Veliki highway.
She stated that we are expected to continue the work on Corridor 11.
The Moravian Corridor was classified as an important project, especially because of its regional integration.
In addition to regional integration, it also works within the country, she said.
Damnjanovic stressed that the development of railway infrastructure, which had been neglected for years, was being worked on.
This is the case, she says, with water transport, and 340 million euros has been earmarked primarily for the reconstruction of shipping lines and the construction of a new one on Tisa.
This is important because 20 percent of the total cargo is transported by water, Damnjanovic added.
She also noted that the number of passengers in the air transport is increasing.
Commenting on rail traffic, she said the goal is to get citizens back by train.
“We will do our best to secure a return to rail and to revive the romance that has always been a recognizable train journey”, Damnjanovic said.
Vice President of the Association of Serbian Economists Dragijana Radonjic Petrovic said that all the countries in the region are characterized by underdeveloped infrastructure, but it is evident that there are investments and efforts to achieve better regional connectivity.
“Serbia has entered the fifth gear in terms of infrastructure construction”, Petrovic said.
Dubravka Negre, head of the Western Balkans EIB regional office, said 30 percent of the bank’s funding goes to the transport sector.
In the last two years, the EIB has committed around 500 million new funding for the development of a regional transport infrastructure that should connect the countries of the region and Serbia, as well as Serbia with the countries of the region and the EU.
“Most of the investment goes to road infrastructure, and the construction of highways and regional roads involves large and complex projects, and Serbia is well on its way”, Negre said.
Infrastructure development says it is important to stimulate economic growth, to travel faster because without road infrastructure, there is no investment and job creation.
Negre stated that Serbia is ahead of the region in terms of investment in transport infrastructure, and more than 50 percent of EIB investment goes to Serbia.
She stressed that Serbia has made a major step forward when it comes to building road infrastructure.
Regional Manager at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Thomas Lubek said that Serbia had sent a strong message with Belgrade airport concession.
He stated that 501 million euros had gone into the budget from that work.
He said infrastructure was an important area and it was important for the private sector to invest as much as possible.
Strabag’s CEO Dragan Pavelic, cited some of the projects that the company is implementing in Serbia and the region, noting that civil engineering and civil engineering are active.
One of the most challenging projects in Serbia, he says, for them was the reconstruction of the Gazela Bridge, RTV reports.
