Skopje, 25 December 2023 (MIA) – Reports from the FIDIC expert and from the State Audit Office will be on the agenda of the next government session and they should give the answer as to what will be the next steps in terms of the Kichevo-Ohrid highway construction, said State Roads director Ejup Rustemi who presented on Monday the 2023 results and next year's projections.  

In a statement to the media, he said the FIDIC expert hired has submitted a report including three options – to extend the contract with the contractor "Sinohydro", to draw up the contract with penalty clauses or to terminate the contract.

"Answers to these questions are provided in the report that we submitted to the government today along with the report from the State Audit Office and the Government will most likely review them at the next session. We will be there, we will explain all the options we have from the FIDIC expert who will also attend the session. After the government session, we will know how we will continue with the contractor "Sinohydro"," said Rustemi.  

Despite all efforts and commitments to the contractor in the Kichevo-Ohrid highway construction, the completion of the project has stretched out, as Rustemi said, "due to the occurrence of new landslides and collapse of the slopes" and is now at a stage requiring expert help.

"This important part of Corridor 8 should be realized and completed, and the decade-long problem resolved. Both the expert public and the State Audit Office agree that the Kichevo-Ohrid project is the result of poor planning and bad start, i.e. a typical example of how one should not start implementing a project too soon," said the State Roads director.

Photo: MIA