It is the Chinese consortium CRIC&CCCC, which consists of the companies China Railway International Co. Ltd and China Communications Construction Company Ltd.
CRIC&CCCC is engaged in the reconstruction and modernization of the sections Belgrade center - Stara Pazova and Novi Sad - Subotica on the high-speed railway Belgrade - Subotica, writes Radio Slobodna Evropa (CSR).
As part of that project, a station building in Novi Sad was reconstructed, the concrete canopy of which collapsed on November 1, killing 14 people, while three people were seriously injured.
CRIC&CCCC and the Serbian authorities claim that the canopy was not included in the reconstruction of the building.
On the World Bank blacklist
The CCCC company, in majority state ownership, is one of the world's largest companies and operates in more than 150 countries, writes CSR.
As reported by this media, it deals with the design, construction and management of infrastructure facilities such as highways, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, high-speed railways, subways, oil platforms and ports.
The company was blacklisted by the World Bank for allegedly rigging bids for a highway contract in the Philippines.
The CCCC said at the time that the allegations had no basis and that it had complied with all regulations.
The ban on financing by the World Bank lasted for eight years, until 2017.
In August 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Department of Commerce added several of CCCC's subsidiaries to a list of those restricted from doing business "for activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States."
It is about participation in the construction of artificial islands for the Chinese army.
The firm has also been accused of mistreatment of railway workers in Kenya and corruption in Bangladesh.
Novi Sad-Subotica railway
Apart from the rest of the world, the Chinese companies CCCC and CRIC also have significant business in Serbia, he writes CSR.
The sections Belgrade Center - Stara Pazova of 34,5 kilometers and Novi Sad - Subotica in the north of the country, 108 kilometers long, are part of the Belgrade - Budapest high-speed railway.
It was agreed as a joint project of China, Serbia and Hungary within the Chinese global initiative "Belt and Road", China's strategic goal to connect the Greek port of Piraeus with Central Europe.
The Belgrade - Novi Sad railway, which includes the section to Stara Pazova, was put into traffic in February 2022.
The opening of the Novi Sad - Subotica railway was announced for the end of November, and the reconstruction of the station building in Novi Sad was part of that capital project.
These shares were financed mainly from loans from the Chinese Exim Bank and were declared to be of exceptional importance for Serbia.
The Belgrade-Budapest high-speed railway project was launched in 2014 in Belgrade, at the summit of sixteen countries of Central and Eastern Europe and China.
Corridor 11-Surčin-Obrenovac
The section of Corridor 11 from Surčin to Obrenovac with a length of 17,6 kilometers, whose contractor was CCCC, was opened in December 2019 after three years of work.
According to the website of the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, it was mainly financed by a loan from the Chinese Exim Bank, while allocations from the Serbian budget were 15 percent.
New Belgrade – Surčin
This section, eight kilometers long, is a connection between Belgrade and the "Miloš Veliki" highway that leads to Čačak in central Serbia.
The project carried out by CCCC was declared to be extremely important for Serbia because, as stated, it represents the connection between Belgrade and the "Miloš Veliki" highway.
The basis for this work was the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation in the Field of Infrastructure between Serbia and China.
Highway "Miloš Veliki", section Preljina - Požega
The Preljina-Požega section in the west of Serbia is part of the E-763 "Miloš Veliki" highway, which connects Serbia with Montenegro and the Adriatic Sea.
This 31-kilometer section is operated by CCCC.
On the website of the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, it is stated that almost a third of the route consists of planned bridges and tunnels.
CCCC got the job, worth 450 million euros, through a direct deal with the state. In order for Serbia to secure money for the construction of the road, it borrowed money from the Chinese Exim Bank.
Northern ring road around Čačak
At the end of May, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Public Enterprise "Roads of Serbia", the City of Čačak and CCCC for the project of the Northern Bypass of the city of Čačak.
The announcement of "Roads of Serbia" stated that the project includes the construction of a bridge over the Western Morava.
Railway Pančevo – Subotica
The Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesić announced that CRIC will be involved in the reconstruction of the Pančevo-Subotica railway line.
During his visit to Guangzhou, China in September, it was announced on the website of the Ministry that CRIC is one of the two Chinese companies that have announced their participation in new projects in Serbia.
Vesić then told the journalists that those two Chinese companies, CRIC and Shandong, have so far performed the best in Serbia, expressing satisfaction at the interest in new projects in the country.
Source: Radio Free Europe
