Bosnia and Herzegovina - Media Review – November 19

NEZAVISNE NOVINE

- Talks between Bosnia and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will continue until Friday when the international lender is expected to announce when and under what conditions it will provide to the Balkan state a second tranche under a 1.2 billion euro stand-buy deal agreed earlier this year, Bosnian government officials said. If Bosnia gets the thumbs-up, it will receive a tranche of some 100 million euro by the year-end. But the country needs to adopt a 2010 budget draft by December 31 if it is to maintain its agreement with the IMF, the Finance Ministry said.

- Slovenian insurer Triglav said it has no takeover plans for any of its peers in Bosnia and will focus on strengthening the position of its existing branch there, Triglav BH Osiguranje, Matjaz Rakovec, President of the Slovenian firm's Managing Board said. The head of the Bosnian unit, Fejsal Hrustanovic, said Triglav BH Osiguranje will match last year's profit figure in 2009 despite the crisis

- Serb Republic Finance Minister Jasna Brkic said the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) dropped to 100 million marka in the first nine months of 2009 compared to the year-ago period but did not elaborate. The Serb Republic attracted 166 million marka in FDI in 2008, official figures showed.

DNEVNI AVAZ

- The owner of Italian firm Veneto Shoes, Terenzio Gezzea, said he made an excellent choice when deciding to set up a production unit in Bosnian town Derventa in 2008. He said he has invested around a million euro in the Bosnian plant, which produces almost 8,000 pairs of shoes monthly and has boosted its exports this year.

(1 euro=1.95583 Bosnian marka)