The tourist settlement in the town of Osenik, which is located in the Hadzici municipality, was called the first Arab town in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
After the journalists published that “Gulf real estate d.o.o. Hadzici” is among the largest debtors territorially covered by the Sarajevo Regional Center of the Administration for Indirect Taxation of BiH, and that their debt by October 18th amounted to 3,549,669.99 BAM, they announced from this company.
In their statement, they accuse the media of one-sidedness.
The media that published it, and then those who transmitted the incomplete news, did not respect journalistic principles that require an objective approach. Because they did not contact the company GULF REAL ESTATE d.o.o. which would provide relevant information on the subject of interest.
Driven by the sensational attraction of readers’ attention, the media were not guided by professional principles for objective information and the right to answer, but offered the public an unfounded media story, calling into question Arab investments in BiH.
The published articles emphasized the debt of GULF REAL ESTATE while ignoring the tax debts of other companies, which are many times higher.
The questions are not only for the employees of GULF REAL ESTATE, but also for the general public in BiH, why does GULF REAL ESTATE, whose debt has not even been legally established, deserve to be the focus of a media campaign? Can and should the unconfirmed and unjudged debt be imputed to dishonorable Arab investments?
Why is the project of a tourist residential settlement persistently negatively presented as an “Arab city” where only Arabs are allowed to enter? However, it is known that, since 2015, the Friendship Festival between the peoples of BiH and the peoples of the Arab countries has traditionally been held in the still unfinished tourist resort. Everyone is welcome to that festival. Is the false and negative highlighting of GULF REAL ESTATE and the company’s Arabic prefix sending a message that we are no longer welcome in BiH?
Citizens should seek answers to some of these questions, as their democratic right to accurate, objective and fair reporting. We remind the public in BiH that GULF REAL ESTATE d.o.o. is a company that has invested approximately 35 million BAM, and it paid millions in taxes.
The most recognizable project is the tourist-residential settlement Sarajevo Resort Osenik, which is not yet completely finished, but has already gained regional recognition.
”As a result of the above, it is obvious that GULF REAL ESTATE respects and implements the legal norms of BiH. If it is something that bothers someone, or there are other intentions in question, GULF REAL ESTATE will in any case try to protect its business from unfair media attention by applying legal remedies, and take actions available by law for causing material and non-material damage and seek appropriate compensation,”they concluded in the statement.
