Transporters are suffering. While in the European Union they are waiting like tourists, in Bosnia and Herzegovina they are fighting like adventurers. They have given up on the blockade, but not the fight. While they are warning, the government is negotiating, and time is running out. BiH transport is again at a crossroads – will the authorities find a solution or will the transporters and the economy pay the price again?
The guests of the Plenum show were: Edin Forto, Velibor Peulić, Goran Račić and Zijad Sinanović.
Peulić: We do not want conflicts, but solutions must come immediately
The representative of the BiH Logistics Consortium, Prof. Dr. Velibor Peulić, says that transporters do not want conflicts, but that they are ready to take decisive steps if the institutions do not react.
“No professional driver or transport operator in BiH has ever aimed for any conflict. We will not allow drivers to find themselves in such a position, but we are looking for solutions to the problems we are facing.”
He emphasizes that some communication with the authorities has already been established, but that concrete steps have yet to be taken. “We have had discussions with government representatives and there has been some progress, especially at the entity level, but now it is crucial that all institutions are involved and that the promises begin to be realized.”
He emphasizes that the transporters are mobilized and ready to take further steps. “Currently, we have about 1,500 rolling stock in mobilization, and by Thursday that number will increase to about 5,500. This shows the seriousness of the situation and the sector’s readiness to act.”
Peulić clearly states what will happen if the institutions do not respond. “If there is no concrete response from the institutions by 12 o’clock tomorrow, we will start heading towards the institutions with thousands of vehicles starting Thursday. We will not wait any longer.”
He adds that the transporters do not want blockades without reason, but that they have exhausted their patience. “We do not want to block the borders or exert pressure without grounds, but the truth is that we are already blocked by European Union rules, while domestic institutions have not offered solutions for months.”
Finally, he emphasizes the unity of the economy in this issue. “Today, the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is unique – together we will act towards institutions that have not yet met any requirements.”
Forto: A large part of the demands of carriers lies with the entity governments
The Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Edin Forto, says that the initiative for a meeting with carriers has already been launched, but that there is no confirmation yet of who will respond.
“I communicated with representatives of transport companies and informed them of the request for a meeting. I immediately conveyed the information to the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister of the Federation, but I do not yet have an official confirmation of the response.”
He adds that as the coordinator of the working group, he has already scheduled a new meeting and invited entity representatives. “I scheduled a meeting for Thursday and invited representatives of the entity governments, because a large part of the demands of carriers lie precisely at that level. It is necessary to concretize the promises made earlier.”
He emphasizes that there is no time for delay and that it is crucial to establish a dialogue as soon as possible. “I sincerely hope that the dialogue will be established as soon as possible, either tomorrow or in the coming days, because we do not have time to wait.”
Forto emphasizes that two key problems facing carriers should be separated. “One is the justified demands related to the difficult access to the European Union market due to residence restrictions, which requires a regional approach according to the European Commission. The other is the measures that domestic authorities can take to help the sector overcome the loss of competitiveness.”
He lists as priorities specific economic measures that have been pending for a long time. “First of all, it is about the refund of excise duties, incentives for the procurement of funds, harmonization of working hours and inspections – these are things that are within the competence of domestic institutions and that must be worked on.”
He adds that solutions will not come overnight, but that the process has already been initiated. “These are demands that will not be resolved in a day. Some things have been moved forward, but a lot of work is still ahead of us.”
Speaking about the announced protests, Forto emphasizes that he considers them legitimate. “Protest is the right of every interest group. From the beginning, I have supported the demands of transporters and their right to fight for their sector.”
He also recalls that he previously advocated a broader, regional approach to the problem. “The idea of a regional protest originated from my department a few months ago, because this is a problem that is not only Bosnian and Herzegovina’s.”
He concludes that communication with transporters will continue. “I am in constant contact with transporters, we have talked many times and we will talk more – the goal is to solve their demands systematically.”
Sinanović: Every standstill directly affects the economy and slows down the entire system
Director of the Transport and Communications Sector at VTKBiH Zijad Sinanović spoke about the consequences of possible blockades and the introduction of new control systems on the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a special focus on the transport sector.
At the beginning, he emphasized that the negative effects are already visible. “It is completely clear, even without polls, that everyone is suffering. We conducted analyzes across the economic sector and the results showed what is already felt in practice – every stoppage directly affects the economy,” he said.
He emphasized that different sectors tolerate crises differently. “Some sectors can wait, but others have strict deadlines and penalties. It is precisely these sectors that suffer the most from the consequences of stoppages and blockades,” he said.
He particularly pointed to the problem of the carrier. “It has not been emphasized enough that carriers also suffer enormous damages. They have delivery deadlines and are already feeling the consequences, and in the future they could have additional problems,” Sinanović pointed out.
He added that there is also a risk of long-term consequences due to legal obligations. “It’s about domestic legislation that obliges carriers to perform certain activities in order to maintain international licenses. If they don’t comply, they can face serious consequences,” he said.
Speaking about administrative restrictions, he stressed that the system leaves no room for flexibility. “There are clear rules that must be followed. You cannot do things outside the rules, because that would lead to complete anarchy in the system,” he said.
He specifically referred to the introduction of the Entry Exit System. “The introduction of the Entry Exit System has further slowed down transport. This is unacceptable at a time when we already have a shortage of drivers and resources,” he stressed.
He explained the broader problem of the lack of labor. “We do not have enough drivers – neither in Western Europe nor in the Balkans. Today, we practically have one driver per vehicle and we can no longer count on fast deliveries with two crews,” he said.
He stressed that this will further slow down the entire logistics chain. “Due to mandatory breaks and a lack of people, transport will be slower, which further complicates the situation for the economy,” he said.
He expressed concern about the insufficient response of European institutions. “What is worrying is the lack of listening and serious approach by the European Commission when it comes to these problems,” he said.
Speaking about the role of local authorities, he stressed that there was room for earlier action. “I have been saying from the beginning that we need to clearly identify responsibilities. If we know who is responsible for what, it will be easier to solve problems,” he said.
He added that most stakeholders are not sufficiently informed. “More than 99 percent of the participants in the system do not know exactly what the responsibilities are and where the problems should be solved,” he stressed.
He recalled previous initiatives by chambers of commerce. “Back in 2023, an initiative was launched by the Western Balkans chambers of commerce towards the European Commission, with the aim of resolving the issue of residence and transport restrictions,” he said.
He stressed the importance of a regional approach. “It doesn’t matter who raises the issue first, it is important that we act together as a region in order to have a stronger influence,” he said.
In the end, he concluded that expectations from European programs remained unfulfilled. “We expected this issue to be resolved through the growth plan, but we see where we are today – the problems are still present,” Sinanović said, Federalna writes.
