Head of the Cabinet of the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, Ivica Kojić, had a role in the project reconstruction and adaptation of the railway to Hungary, reveals New economy.
As can be seen from the emails published by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad, Kojić promised the contractor that he would speed up activities on this project.
"Currently, there are still the following important factors that limit the progress of the project and whether it can be completed on time, and we ask you to increase the degree of coordination," according to the report sent to Kojić by the Chinese CRIC/CCCC consortium.
In addition to Vučić's chief of staff, the email with this report was also addressed to the General Secretariat of the President, the Railway Infrastructure of Serbia and the company that carries out the supervision.
"I will call everyone and speed up all activities," Kojić replied to the contractor.
The email was sent to Kojić on January 9, 2023. This is less than a month after President Vučić asked the contractor to complete the reconstruction of the railroad a year ahead of schedule.
In an email to Kojic, China's CRIC/CCCC sent a document titled "Report on Major Issues Limiting the Duration of the Project."
The Report states that the section Novi Sad - Subotica - state border will be completed by the end of 2024 "in accordance with the wishes and requests of His Excellency President Vučić and the Government of Serbia".
However, there were issues that prompted CRIC/CCCC to increase the "degree of coordination".
The Chinese contractor cited five factors: The issue related to archeology on the land that will be used for the construction of the railway, the issue of expropriation and demolition, municipal auxiliary roads and streams in the area of Subotica, the relocation of gas pipelines to four locations and - the issue of financing additional works.
"In order to ensure the early opening of the section Novi Sad - Subotica in 2024, it is necessary to ask the Serbian side to resolve the demand for financing of 65 million US dollars for additional works in 2023", according to the Report signed by the representative of the CRIC consortium /CCCC Zhou Sin.
Each of the five points mentioned by the contractor was answered by Slobodanka Katanić, manager for development and investments in the Infrastructure of Railways of Serbia.
Regarding the financing of additional works, she stated that a letter was sent to the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure.
Read the full text at New Economy portal
