The Government of the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced that Acting USAID Mission Director Craig Buck will open a new capital project in cooperation with the Čitluk municipality.

The opening of the new bus station will happen on Thursday, January 20, at 12:30, in Medjugorje. Representatives from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) will also participate in the opening.

This project is part of the second phase of the Government Accountability Project (GAP), or “GAP II” by USAID, SIDA, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. GAP provided $34,000 for this capital improvement, while the municipality contributed $51,000.

Construction of the bus station in Medjugorje, the largest local community in the Čitluk municipality, was selected as the highest priority out of out of many possible projects. The bus station in Medjugorje enables easier and safer bus transportation for both tourists and the local population.

USAID, SIDA, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have each provided $10 million in funding towards GAP II, a five-year effort to help local governments in BiH increase their efficiency and accountability. In the past three years, GAP I assisted 41 municipalities throughout BiH to build their capacities and improve service provision to citizens.

An additional 30 municipalities will participate in similar activities in GAP II. In total, 64 capital projects in 39 municipalities are underway, of which the municipal cost share is 69%, or $8.3 million, far exceeding the required 50% match.

To date, the U.S. Government, primarily through USAID, has provided more than $1.5 billion in assistance to support economic, democratic, and social progress in BiH.