Prishtina, 17 December 2012 – Prishtina – The Government of Kosovo is committed to ensuring that all financial means available, including those provided by its international partners, such as SDC that uses funds collected from Swiss taxpayers, are used for providing better lives for Kosovo citizens, said the Minister of Economic Development Besim Beqaj.

Minister Beqaj made these comments today during the inauguration of the project for network expansion of the water-supply system in Area 4 of the city of Ferizaj, attended by the Mayor of Ferizaj, SDC representative Markus Baechler, CEO of the RWSC ‘Bifurkacioni’ from Ferizaj and other officials.

“I believe that the commitment of the Government is also proven by the projects that we have implemented in publicly-owned enterprises during this year. We have invested over 85 million euro in improving networks, managing and developing new capacities in energy, improvement of water supply and waste water extraction systems, etc.” said Beqaj.

He said that Prizren and Gjakova have benefited during this year, while Ferizaj is in the government’s agenda for next year, while adding that this year it benefited from an important project to improve the quality of electricity supply.

Beqaj thanked the Swiss Government for assisting in the infrastructural improvements in waste management in Southeast Kosovo, with 8 million euro, in order for the water-related problems faced by the citizens to be a thing of the past.

For his part, the Mayor of Ferizaj, Agim Aliu, said that this important project for Ferizaj will provide residents of respective neighborhoods with drinkable water and this opens the perspective for a second phase aimed at supplying the entire urban part of the city with drinkable water. He thanked Minister Beqaj and the Swiss Government for the constant support to this project in all of its phases and in different capacities.

SDC representative Markus Baechler said that he was content with the finalization of the first part of this project, aimed at supplying drinkable water for 500 new consumers or 3 thousand residents.

“This was implemented based on an excellent cooperation between the Swiss Government, MED, RWSC Bifurkacioni and the Municipality of Ferizaj. The next component will expand the supply network. We will also help Bifurkacioni with a billing and accounting program. We encourage responsibility among citizens to pay for their water bills,” said Baechler.

Faton Frangu, Chief Executive Officer of the RWSC, said that the expansion of the water supply network for Area 4 of the urban part of Ferizaj will enable qualitative supply of water for citizens that were to date using water from their individual wells, which don’t meet water quality criteria.

Otherwise, the ‘Supply of drinkable water for Southeast Kosovo’ project – RWSC Bifurkacioni, Ferizaj, represents an investment of 5.4 million euro, cofounded by MED, SDC and Municipality of Ferizaj.