Fog covers Horgoš-Požega highway deal

The concession contract regulating the construction of the Horgoš-Požega highway is unlikely to become public.

Izvor: B92

Saturday, 11.08.2007.

17:18

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The concession contract regulating the construction of the Horgos-Pozega highway is unlikely to become public. Provincial officials from Vojvodina have repeatedly asked for the provisions of the arrangement, reportedly valued at EUR 1.5bn, to become available to the public, claiming at the same time it will deprive Vojvodina of EUR 450mn. Fog covers Horgos-Pozega highway deal In the face of a developing controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic asked for the contract to be posted on the government website on August 3. However, FCC Construction, one of the concessionaires, reached for an article in the contract regulating its confidentiality to block the move. Djelic reacted by saying Friday he was "disappointed," and added he will insist on the public's right to gain insight into the details of the contract, calling on the concessionaires to meet their obligations in a transparent manner. Nemanja Nenadic of the Transparency Serbia watchdog says the provisions of any contract cannot override the force of the country's laws. "We have a clear law on free access to information, which states that when someone requests to receive a document that is available to the authorities, this document must be made public, except where it concerns portions that are justifiably protected, based on another law," Nenadic explained. He added that the government's legal obligation to reveal information regarding this particular case has not been brought into question at any point. "Unless the contract becomes public, we will have to take their word for it that it is beneficial for our country. This is the kind of situation that we must not accept. Since the tender for the concession was public, there is no reason to keep the contract secret," Nenadic believes. Serbia granted FCC-Alpine Mayreder a concession to build and maintain the Horgos-Pozega highway by signing the contract with the Spanish-Austrian consortium in Belgrade on March 30 this year. In November 2006, the consortium won the tender to finalize, use and maintain the highway, running from the northern to the central part of Serbia. The known details of the contract are that the concession will span 25 years, while the construction is expected to last four years. The consortium will within that timeframe build the left lane of the Horgos-Novi Sad stretch as well as the full profile of the Belgrade-Pozega highway.

Fog covers Horgoš-Požega highway deal

In the face of a developing controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić asked for the contract to be posted on the government website on August 3.

However, FCC Construction, one of the concessionaires, reached for an article in the contract regulating its confidentiality to block the move.

Đelić reacted by saying Friday he was "disappointed," and added he will insist on the public's right to gain insight into the details of the contract, calling on the concessionaires to meet their obligations in a transparent manner.

Nemanja Nenadić of the Transparency Serbia watchdog says the provisions of any contract cannot override the force of the country's laws.

"We have a clear law on free access to information, which states that when someone requests to receive a document that is available to the authorities, this document must be made public, except where it concerns portions that are justifiably protected, based on another law," Nenadić explained.

He added that the government's legal obligation to reveal information regarding this particular case has not been brought into question at any point.

"Unless the contract becomes public, we will have to take their word for it that it is beneficial for our country. This is the kind of situation that we must not accept. Since the tender for the concession was public, there is no reason to keep the contract secret," Nenadić believes.

Serbia granted FCC-Alpine Mayreder a concession to build and maintain the Horgoš-Požega highway by signing the contract with the Spanish-Austrian consortium in Belgrade on March 30 this year.

In November 2006, the consortium won the tender to finalize, use and maintain the highway, running from the northern to the central part of Serbia.

The known details of the contract are that the concession will span 25 years, while the construction is expected to last four years.

The consortium will within that timeframe build the left lane of the Horgoš-Novi Sad stretch as well as the full profile of the Belgrade-Požega highway.

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