STEVANOVIĆ: APPEAL TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO OPEN NEW BORDER CROSSING BY TOMORROW

ČELINAC, MAY 19 /SRNA/ – The Minister of Transport and Communications of Republika Srpska Zoran Stevanović appealed to those responsible for deciding on the opening of the new Gradiška border crossing to make a decision on putting it into operation no later than tomorrow.

"I appeal to those responsible to once again think carefully and, during the evening or by tomorrow at the latest, try to establish traffic at the new border crossing," Stevanović told the press in Čelinac. He stated that all border crossings in the surrounding area are unable to handle the number of vehicles that will very soon "swarm up," especially freight traffic. Stevanović emphasized the importance of the Gradiška border crossing for businesspeople from across BiH, as well as for all citizens and travelers. Last night, a partial collapse of the concrete structure and railing occurred on the bridge over the Sava River in Gradiška, resulting in a complete suspension of cross-border traffic for all categories of vehicles and pedestrians. The new Gradiška–Novi Most border crossing was built and fully equipped in December last year, when it was supposed to be officially opened, but this never happened because Zijad Krnjić, a member of the Governing Board of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH from the ranks of experts appointed by the FBiH Government, voted five times against amendments to the systematization rulebook that would have enabled the director of the Authority to issue decisions on the reassignment of customs and other officers to the new crossing.