Minister Dedić with Mayor Huskić on water and sanitation projects

Minister Dedić met today with Suad Huskić, Mayor of Tešanj, to discuss the results his municipality achieved in the Water and Sanitation Project (WATSAN). The Project is implemented by the municipalities in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry. It’s funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) loan and supported by the European Union grants and other bilateral donors including Swedish SIDA.

They also discussed the BiH Water Services Modernization Project to be funded by the World Bank aimed at creating more favourable conditions for higher performance, financial sustainability, good management practices and credit worthiness of the water and sanitation utilities. The project will rely on the methodology for setting the lowest basic price of water services in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and will include the municipalities adopting the methodology as the sign of their readiness to develop water infrastructure in line with EU standards.  

– Given their great contribution to the improvement of water and sanitation network, we have decided to endorse these projects, as also the next year we will start the second phase of WATSAN in order to further develop much needed infrastructure as a prerequisite for the overall development of any municipality. In this way we will help ensure uninterrupted, sustainable and reliable water services for people and the operational and financial sustainability of water utilities – said minister Dedić.

Mayor Huskić added that Tešanj was one of the municipalities included in the UNDP MEG pilot project where this methodology was tested, and reaffirmed the commitment of the municipality to participate in water and sanitation projects in cooperation with the Ministry and international partners.