Rankovce, 8 March 2024 (MIA) – Caretaker Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi, accompanied by government ministers and other officials carried out an inspection of the construction on the Rankovce – Kriva Palanka expressway on Friday, and urged Parliament to adopt the laws on grant and loan in order to free up funds and ensure a timely completion of the section. The expressway is 25.5 kilometers long and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

PM Xhaferi highlighted the history of launched and interrupted construction on the project.

“The previous contractors stepped away from the project because they couldn’t fulfill the conditions of the contract, and so the work was interrupted with them. The public call was republished upon the recommendation of the World Bank. Now we have a new contractors and construction is moving along as planned. The construction is projected to be completed by the end of May, but from what has been said, both by the institutions and the contractor, the deadline is bound to the law which is in Parliament,” said Xhaferi.

Xhaferi urged MPs to adopt the laws, one of which, he said, is related to a loan and the other to a grant.

“I wouldn’t want to talk about the sum, but the MPs have the sums. Of course, any delay regarding the realization of the law will mean additional expenses for the country and the citizens,” stressed Xhaferi.

Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski also urged the MPs to adopt the laws and highlighted the importance of the project.

“Corridor VIII is among the two most important road connections for North Macedonia, with which we connect to our neighbors in the east and west. The investments in road and railway infrastructure as part of Corridor VIII exceed EUR 2 billion. These are serious funds that the Government chose to invest because of the future and of the future generations,” said Bochvarski.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Ljupcho Nikolovski, said that anyone from the country’s northeast knows how neglected the region is, but also how much they’ve fought for its development. He voiced his conviction that “reason will prevail” and that the citizens will be able to use the expressway in 2024.

The head of the Public Enterprise for State Roads, Ejup Rustemi, said the Enterprise is continuing its work on all capital projects and boosting its activities on the ground with the beginning of the construction season.

Photo: Ministry of Transport and Communications