Councilor Balsa Bozovic thinks that the recently signed contract for Belgrade Waterfront shows the project is “the scam of the century.”
Bozovic, who heads the opposition DS group in the Belgrade city assembly, remarked on Thursday that the project “is not the investment of the century, as announced by the Serbian government.”
“An investment of EUR 150 million, which is – according to the latest in a series of conflicting statements made by Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali abnout the 30-year- investment in Belgrade Waterfront – necessary for its initiation does not constitute, as he says, ‘a revolving investment’, but the scam of the century,” said Bozovic.
He calculated that it provides for the construction of 1.8 million square meters of office and residential space within 30 years, which means 60,000 square meters a year, or six percent of what is built in Belgrade every year.
“It is unacceptable that such a small number of square meters is represented as a project of such importance that it should be financed by all the citizens of Serbia, because during (the rule) of the Democratic Party (DS) Belgrade built a million square meters a year, outside of significant investments,” the councilor added.
According to him, Belgrade Waterfront has in fact been abandoned – “but nobody from the government dares to say it.”
“The only thing is that every taxpayer will have to pay EUR 2,054 directly to the investor’s pocket, while this project will not only lead to the collapse of our public finances, but will further impoverish and humiliate citizens. All of this is being done only so that the investor, who is on friendly terms with the prime minister, can build a shopping mall and a few hotels, and leave the country along with a huge profit,” said Bozovic.
He added that United Arab Emirates investor, the company Eagle Hills, will not spend EUR 3.5 billion in the project as previously announced, but EUR 300 million.
“The investor generously lends money to citizens so they can pay for hotels and shopping malls! This is a betrayal of the interests of those who live in Serbia and we are convinced that this will not pass. Sooner or later someone will have to answer for this scam before the Serbian judicial authorities,” Bozovic said.
Source; B92