The departure of transport companies and drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina is taking on the proportions of a serious crisis that could raise transport and living costs, it was warned at today’s meeting of the Working Group for Coordinating Activities Regarding the Stay of Drivers in the Schengen Zone.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Communications and Transport, Edin Forto, said representatives of transport companies warned about the ongoing exodus of firms and drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The Logistics Consortium told us today that a large number of our companies and drivers are leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina. Problems are still similar. The fact that today we don’t have blocked borders or protests by transporters does not mean that this is not a serious crisis. If the exodus continues, it will lead to a significant increase in transport expenses, which means an increase in the living costs, something I believe no one wants,” Forto said.
Speaking about support measures for the sector, he said that the full effects of the special visa program of the Republic of Croatia are still expected, which is estimated to potentially relieve transporters by 10 to 15 percent.
He recalled that the Ministry of Communications and Transport also amended the Rulebook, which enables issuing a third license plate, but that this measure cannot be implemented due to administrative procedures preceding the decision of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“To issue a third license plate, the Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of BiH (IDDEEA) must establish a new price list that needs to be approved by the Council of Ministers. This requires certain opinions, but we still haven’t received the opinion from the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am not pointing fingers at anyone because it doesn’t have to be a political matter, but rather an operational one. I appeal for this to be resolved as soon as possible.
He also mentioned that the line ministry proposed a significant reduction in the price of international CEMT permits.
“Transporters currently pay 500 BAM for CEMT permits, and our proposal is to reduce that price to 100 BAM. We cannot establish this unless the Ministry of Finance and Treasury gives an opinion with which we can go to the Council of Ministers, where we will then vote, and I see no reason why the Council of Ministers should not support such a decision,” Forto said.
He also highlighted that the mandate of the Working Group expires at the end of the year, but that the representatives of the sector sought the continuation of its work regardless of the technical mandate of the Council of Ministers and the uncertainty regarding potential changes in I company.
“ We will request a new term from the Council of Ministers for the Working group or to expand its authorities and adopt a decision on forming a transport facilitation committee, which is much wider and more detailed than what we have now. That was previously rejected in the Council of Ministers by ministers from the SNSD,” he pointed out.
The representative of the “Logistika BiH” Consortium, Zijad Šarić, addressed the media, saying that transport representatives today particularly focused on Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, and Hungary, as well as the countries with which Bosnia and Herzegovina achieves the largest foreign exchange, and sought urgent launching of an initiative to resolve the issue of bilateral visa issuance for drivers.
As he said, the introduction of D visas in other EU countries, following the example of Croatia, would significantly relieve domestic transporters and represent a more permanent solution for the issues the sector faces.
Šarić also warned about rising fuel prices, assessing that it represents an additional blow to transport companies, which is why transporters are asking for the launch of an initiative to introduce fuel relief measures through the Ministry of Communications and Transport and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury.
He also added that transporters proposed submitting an initiative to competent governments to reduce contribution obligations by 50 percent, following the model applied in the textile sector.
Among other things, he also pointed out that European Union countries and the region simulate the procurement of Euro 6 standard trucks, which pollute the environment less, and that similar models should be applied in Bosnia and Herzegovina by subsidizing the purchase of such vehicles.
He emphasized that there is currently not enough willingness from entity governments to support such initiatives.
“I hope that someone will find a way to break the deadlock, to ease the work of transporters and prevent relocation of capacities, because 30 percent of them have already left Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Šarić warned.
