Gostivar water supply project incomplete despite €7.1 million foreign aid

Gostivar water supply SECO KfW Komunalec

The water‑supply renovation project in Gostivar, North Macedonia, was financed with €7.132 million, contributed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the German Development Bank (KfW), the Municipality of Gostivar and the public utility JP Komunalec. Work began in December 2016 and was formally completed in December 2023, after which the system was handed over to JP Komunalec.

According to the utility, about 98% of the planned works have been finished and tested, but roughly 600 metres of pipeline remain idle because a permit from the state road authority has not been issued. Several key installations – new reservoirs, a modern water‑quality laboratory and a filter station in Vrutok – are still non‑operational, and water pressure control is inadequate, leaving parts of the town without reliable supply.

The municipality and JP Komunalec reject claims that the entire project has failed, citing documentation, technical records and video evidence. They note that training funds of €150 000 were paid twice for staff instruction, yet the utility currently lacks qualified personnel to operate the new equipment. No formal public investigation into the use of the foreign funds has been launched.

Entities: German Development Bank (KfW) · Gostivar · Gostivar municipality · JP Komunalec · Komunalec public utility · Municipality of Gostivar · Nevzat Bejta · Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] Around 600 metres of pipeline remain unfinished because a permit from the state road authority has not been issued. (Pending works)
[● 2 SOURCES] JP Komunalec disputes claims that the whole project has failed and cites documentation and technical records as evidence. (Utility’s response)
[● 5 SOURCES] The water‑supply renovation project in Gostivar was financed with €7,132,000, contributed by SECO, KfW, the Municipality of Gostivar and JP Komunalec. (Funding amounts and contributors)
[● 2 SOURCES] Key facilities such as new reservoirs, a modern water‑quality laboratory, and a filter station in Vrutok are not operational. (Non‑functioning infrastructure)
[● 2 SOURCES] Two payments of €150,000 were made for staff training, yet the utility currently has no qualified personnel to operate the new systems. (Training funds and staffing issue)
[● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 98 percent of the planned works have been completed and tested. (Completion percentage)
[○ 1 SOURCE] No public investigation has been opened into the use of the project funds. (Absence of investigation)
[● 4 SOURCES] The project ran from December 2016 to December 2023 and was handed over to JP Komunalec. (Project timeline and hand‑over)