Border crossing in Macedonia renovated by World Bank-funded project

18/04/2006

Waiting times at Macedonia's busy Tabanovce border crossing should be significantly reduced as a result of a renovation project funded by the government and the World Bank.

By Marina Stojanovska for Southeast European Times in Skopje - 18/04/06

The renovated Tabanovce border crossing opened on 12 April. [Tomislav Georgiev]

A newly rebuilt border crossing at Tabanovce, which connects Macedonia with neighbouring Serbia, opened on 12 April within the framework of the Regional Programme for Facilitation of Trade and Transport in South East Europe (TTFSE). The government and the World Bank funded the project.

Tabanovce is one of the country's busiest border points, crossed by up to 700,000 vehicles and 2.5 million to 2.8 million passengers annually. The renovated crossing, which has six exit lanes from and eight entry lanes to Macedonia, should help improve efficiency. A new police and customs building has been constructed, and accessory facilities -- such as a substation and diesel aggregates -- have been built.

"Transport expenses in Macedonia are higher than those in other countries by 10 per cent to 20 per cent because it is a landlocked country," Sandra Blumenkamp, representative of the World Bank for Macedonia, said at the 12 April opening ceremony. "This reflects to transporters. Therefore, the country should do its best to lower these expenditures. Modernisation of the border crossing is only one segment." Such efforts, Blumenkamp said, will also help attract investors.

"The transport facilitation project uniting the countries in Southeast Europe is aimed at facilitating trade and ensuring fast flow of goods and passengers and hampering corruption," said Minister of Finance Nikola Popovski. As for the new border crossing, he said, "The changes ensure a more favourable environment for investment in the whole region and an open and competitive economy. This crossing is a part of Corridor 10 and is very important in international trade."

The TTFSE programme aims to reduce non-tariff costs for trade and transport, as well as to prevent smuggling and corruption. It is also meant to promote smoother and less costly trade flows across the borders in Southeast Europe, and to update customs procedures to EU standards. The programme also includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Romania and Serbia-Montenegro. TTFSE is a collaborative effort among the governments of these countries in association with the Southeast European Co-operative Initiative (SECI), the World Bank, the EU and the United States.