The American-Turkish consortium "Bechtel and Enka" has been approved for the first 243 million euros out of a total of 1,3 billion for the project for corridors 8 and 10d, money provided by the budget of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for this year. The financing program was adopted by the Government yesterday, and today it was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia.

The government adopted the Program on the basis of the Law on determining public interest and nominating a strategic partner for the implementation of the Project for the construction of the infrastructure Corridor 8 (section Tetovo-Gostivar-Bukojčani and the project for the highway Trebenishta - Struga-Qafasan) and Corridor 10e (section on the Prilep-Bitola Highway) and from the Law on the Execution of the Budget for 2023.

As specified, funds in the amount of 117 million euros are paid in two tranches and are intended for mobilization, staffing with mechanization, establishment of camps, laboratory and other works by the contractor before starting construction activities on the routes. section 1 (Tetovo – Gostivar), section 2 (Gostivar – Bukojčani), section 3 (Trebenishte – Struga – Qafasan) and section 4 (Prilep – Bitola).

The funds from the first tranche amounting to 87 million euros and from the second tranche amounting to 30 million euros are paid according to the Agreement for the construction of Corridor 8 and Corridor 10e.

Also, funds in the amount of 50 million euros are intended for advance payment according to the Agreement for the construction of Corridor 8 and Corridor 10d, that is, for mobilization, procurement of equipment, bases and materials for the contractor and for supporting access to funds.

25.5 million euros are also foreseen for capital indirect costs, i.e. for costs that are charged by a foreign contractor and are in the function of supporting construction activities, including assistance from specialists for technical, commercial and management capacity for monitoring the project and monitoring the activities of the project from personnel from the contractor's main office.

Another 49,5 million euros are intended for the preparation of project documentation for the construction of highways, for dislocations of underground and above-ground installations, performance of dislocations of underground and above-ground installations, preparatory construction activities on the route, construction activities i.e. construction of the route, geomechanical investigations , provision of offices and other needs for the supervision and other, for the road routes, Tetovo - Gostivar, Gostivar - Bukojcani, Trebenishte - Struga - Qafasan and Prilep - Bitola.

With the Agreement with "Bechtel and Enka" that was signed on March 8 of this year, four highway sections with a length of 108,8 kilometers will be built. The value of the project is 1,3 billion euros, excluding the money for expropriation and design.

Initial calculations show that the section Tetovo - Gostivar with a length of 17,5 kilometers costs 125 million euros, Gostivar - Bukojčani (30,3 kilometers) 560 million euros, Trebenishta - Struga - Kfasan (21,7 kilometers) 360 million euros, and Prilep – Bitola (39,4) 260 million euros. The highway sections will be three-lane and 10,7 meters wide with greenery. The average price per kilometer should be 12 million euros.

Starting activities for the project were announced by JPDP on April 22 of this year on the sections Tetovo - Gostivar and Prilep - Bitola.

As explained by the Ministry of Transport and Communications at the Agreement signing ceremony, the prices are supported on the basis of a feasibility study prepared by the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and revised by the "Grand Thorton" consulting company. The contract with the contractor was drawn up according to the principle of FIDIC contracts, that is, according to the principle of measured quantities. This means that payments will be made according to the works performed in the field.

The IRD consortium was chosen as the legal transaction advisor and supervisor for the project, and after the public suspicions about companies that are part of this consortium, the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption opened a case.

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, however, said yesterday to a journalist's question that whatever the authorities determine for corridors 8 and 10d, the Government will act in accordance with the findings.