Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – According to the Social Justice Action (ASP), €818,000 was paid in December last year for the controversial project to build the road from Lubnice to Jezerine, including the construction of the Klisura tunnel through Mount Bjelasica, bringing the total cost to more than €63.1 million.

The NGO said this means the project has effectively been paid for over a full decade.

“The works contract, worth €34.6 million, was signed at the end of 2016 with Sarajevo-based Euro Asfalt, and the first payment of around €3.5 million was made in December of that year to begin the works,” ASP recalled.

However, in the following years serious difficulties arose during construction due to a poor main design on the basis of which the project had been launched, leading to deadline extensions and increased costs. 

ASP data show that more than €63.1 million had been paid to the contractor by the end of last year, which is €28.5 million more than the originally agreed price so far, while it remains unclear whether this is the final cost of the project, which ended up with the Special State Prosecutor’s Office several years ago. 

The outcome of the prosecutorial proceedings is not known.