DPM Simović, World Bank's Salinas: Government and WB starts developing Lim and Grnčar rivers regulation project

Podgorica, Montenegro (8 September 2017) -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Milutin Simović hosted a delegation of the World Bank, headed by the newly elected Head of the WB Office for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro Emanuel Salinas.

Consistent implementation of public finances fiscal consolidation measures yields positive effects that are visible in the second quarter through higher revenue generation, but also through economic activity growth, the meeting emphasised.

World Bank recognises and supports the efforts and results of the Montenegrin Government towards strengthening macroeconomic and financial stability, representatives of the World Bank stressed, adding that it will continue to provide financial support for Montenegro and back up its investment projects for the implementation of sectoral policies.

DPM Simović highlighted the importance and results of many years of successful cooperation with the World Bank in numerous fields, which resulted in successful projects in the fields of energy, agriculture, environment, health and education.

In particular, he emphasised the commitment of the Government, in addition to strengthening macroeconomic and financial stability, to improving access to economic opportunities, employment, strengthening incentives for work and supporting entrepreneurship development through investments and job creation in the private sector, as well as the need for further improvement of environmental sustainability.

The meeting developed a new perspective of cooperation through future joint projects.

The meeting also recognised the importance of the rapid start of the project "Management of the Drina River Basin in the Western Balkans." A total of 2.7 million dollars of grants will be available for improving the use of water resources to Montenegro. A part of the funds, in the amount of EUR 470,000, will be used for the development of project documentation for the regulation of the Lim and Grnčar rivers, which includes the development of a geodetic basis, a hydrological study, a hydrotechnical solution of regulatory measures and geological bases. After presenting the details of the project, Simović and Salinas expressed their satisfaction with the expected rapid start of of the project's implementation.

Deputy Prime Minister Simović thanked the World Bank's representatives for their support and recognition of the need of Montenegro in the part of water protection and the creation of preconditions for further sustainable use of water resources, noting that the project that is being implemented by the World Bank Global Environment Facility and the Ministry of Agriculture is a significant step forward in meeting this goal.

In order to continue the successful cooperation between Montenegro and the World Bank in the field of agriculture, good results are based on the previous joint project aimed at the development of institutions and the strengthening of Montenegrin agriculture (MIDAS). Today's meeting voiced satisfacion with the procedure for contracting the new project - MIDAS 2. It was announced that a visit to the WB mission is expected during the next week, during which a detailed concept of support will be defined, but it can already be announced that it will be financially more generous, rather than the previous MIDAS, and will provide support to areas of agriculture, food security and fisheries.

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC POLICY AND FINANCIAL SYSTEM