BRATISLAVA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) will spend another 800 million euros (938 million U.S. dollars) in Slovakia on social programs, CEB governor Rolf Wenzel and Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir announced jointly at press conference on Thursday.
According to Kazimir, the programs include health care, education, administration, judicial and prison infrastructure, public infrastructure and regional development.
Wenzel noted that interest rates on CEB loans depend on the nature of individual projects.
"Our financial rates are certainly better than those you get from a major commercial bank," stressed Wenzel.
Kazimir added that the bank will cooperate with Slovak Investment Holding to fund social enterprises, apart from co-funding projects to be carried out by the Slovak Environment Ministry.
"There's an opportunity for co-funding in the construction of a prison in Rimavska Sobota-Sabova in central Slovakia or a possible loan for the Bratislava Water Utility to the tune of 50 million euros," said Kazimir.
In the past, the CEB took part in the reconstruction of Bratislava's Old Bridge and co-funded the construction of flats and social housing in Slovakia. (1 euro = 1.16 U.S. dollars)
