Srebrenica, 02 02 2015 - The project related to free debt counseling for over-indebted citizens of Srebrenica Municipality was officially presented today, after signing of the Agreement on Cooperation.
The activity is a part of a larger Microfinance Regulation and Risk Management Project. Its main objective is to find constructive solutions for indebted citizens, through a consultation done by trained municipal employees. The project is implemented by the International Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and the Association for Responsible Personal Finance Management "U plusu". The Government of Switzerland, in cooperation with the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), is financially supporting it.
So far, the implementation of the project included 20 municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with more than 2,000 people looking for help because of over-indebtedness. The rate of resolution of indebted citizens’ cases in BiH increased to 64% in the last six-month period. It is expected that, during this year, 10 more municipalities will join the project.
The representative of the Embassy of Switzerland in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the presentation in Srebrenica was David Kramer, Deputy Director of Cooperation.
Press releases,
17.02.2015
Sarajevo, 17 02 2015 - The Ambassador of Switzerland in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Heinrich Maurer, opened today, together with Deputy Minister ofthe Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Ermina Salkičević Dizdarević, a trade promotion seminar in Sarajevo for business people, organized to mark the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement between the EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ambassador, Heinrich Maurer holds speech at EFTA Seminar in Sarajevo
FDFA
While addressing the participants, the Ambassador stressed the opportunities of the new Free Trade Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to promote trade relations with EFTA member states which all have well performing economies and consumer markets with a high purchasing power. “The Free Trade Agreement is an important milestone for the benefit of the economies of our countries. It creates new trade and investment opportunities on both sides”, Maurer said.
Maurer referred to the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO) that is implemented in BiH, preparing companies to meet EU market needs and to win the new markets. The conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement constitutes also a significant additional incentive for investments, according to Maurer, who made a reference to the Swiss Start-up Fund program through which Swiss investors get supportive loans in transition countries like BiH.
Maurer assessed the time of the entering into force of the Free Trade Agreement as timely due to the new momentum in BiHs integration process into the EU. “Switzerland strongly supports BiH’s efforts towards European integration and therefore hopes that the new EU initiative and the implementation of the “Compact for Growth and Jobs” as one of its centerpieces becomes successful. The focus on economic and social measures will hopefully lead soon to concrete results so that the words of the responsible leaders in BiH will follow deeds, Maurer said.
The seminar to promote free trade was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, EFTA Secretariat and the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the premises of Foreign Trade Chamber in Sarajevo. Another EFTA seminar will be held in Banja Luka on 19 February.
