IMF MIssion recommends improving the planning and realization of public investments in Serbia

IMF mission in Serbia ascertained yesterday in conversation with the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic that the reconstruction of Serbian Railways is carried out with success and recommend an upgrade in the public investment planning and realization process.

James Roaf, Head of the IMF mission for Serbia, said that the department led by Mihajlovic significantly contributed to the successful ending of the previous IMF arrangement

- You did a great job on the railway, Roaf said and added that efficient public investment planning and realization would contribute to setting our priorities straight and the finances available used in the most efficient way possible.

The talks also included bettering the business environment in Serbia. The new set of laws proposed by the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure that will soon appear before the Parliament for consideration will help the cause, The Ministry stated.

- We will adopt a law about the procedure of registering into the cadastre which will enable the citizens to get their property legalized in one place, with the public notary.
Serbia is in the 10th place in the world issuing construction permits but we want to do better. Hence, we will make amendments to the Law on construction and planning and work on efficiency in urban planning, Mihajlovic said

She pointed out that construction activity was the 'push' needed for the GDP growth of 4.5 % in the first quarter of 2018 and that construction had a 25% share in that growth.

World Bank representatives led by the World Bank Country Manager for Serbia Stephen Ndegwa also attended the meeting in the Government of Serbia.

IMF mission has been in Belgrade since May 7 and is conducting talks with Serbian government officials about a new support non-financial arrangement.

Međunarodni monetarni fond-MMF Beograd

Ministarstvo građevinarstva, saobraćaja i infrastrukture Republike Srbije

Svetska Banka-WB Beograd

Železnice Srbije a.d. Beograd

James Roaf

Zorana Mihajlovic

Stephen Ndegwa

reconstruction of Serbian Railways

jpublic investment

public investment planning

public investment realization

Law on construction and planning

construction permits

Serbian GDP