The negotiations with the IMF over the new arrangement are not quite heading in the best direction. The B&H authorities say they are already thinking of other options of patching the budget holes, and one of the options is borrowing from commercial banks.
The President of the Government of FB&H Fadil Novalić said few days ago in Mostar that, if the arrangement with the IMF is not agreed upon, he expects help of one friendly country.
‘’We have asked one Government, of one friendly country, to put its banks at the disposal at preferential regime. They responded that they have packed for us the means that might be the shock absorber right in the amount of the means of the IMF’’, Novalić said.
The President Novalić refused to reveal details about which country it is and which banks it is about.
As it was confirmed by several sources, the friendly country that the Prime Minister Novalić mentions in this statement is Turkey.
At the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Government of FB&H it could not be confirmed or denied that the word is about Turkey, and the Prime Minister was unavailable for comments.
That the stage of seeking alternatives to the IMF is already seriously entered was also confirmed by the member of the Presidency of B&H and the leader of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) Bakir Izetbegović in a recent interview for Klix.ba. When asked whether the alternative exists, Izetbegović then said:
‘’It exists, but I will not reveal the details until the agreement is reached. There is an alternative to everything and for the arrangements with the IMF as well’’.
The President of the Republic of Srpska has several times announced the Russian loan which would also represent an alternative if the agreement with the IMF is not reached.
(Source: klix.ba/ photo faktor.ba)