Bankers in Bosnia and Herzegovina still do not know how to act towards individuals and legal entities they cooperate with, who are on the black list of the United States of America. They are awaiting further clarification from the US Department of the Treasury. Bankers do not want to talk about this problem.
Experts warn that this is an extremely serious situation in which the banking sector would suffer major consequences with possible sanctions.
The banking sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina is in trouble. The consequences could be felt especially by banks that continued to cooperate with persons from the US blacklist. Unofficially, three of them. Further cooperation, it was warned, brings harsh sanctions from the US administration.
Anna Morris, acting US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
“I think you can expect us to continue to use these sanctions as a tool. This makes it difficult for those actors to engage in international financial transactions.”
Because of this warning, bankers requested additional clarification from the US Treasury Department. They are still waiting for an answer.
Bankers today do not want to talk about this problem. We have not received answers to our letters, calls and messages. Their caution is also evident throughout the story.
By imposing sanctions on banks, they would be prevented from doing business in international payment transactions. That is one of the possible bans.
Andrijana Pisarević, journalist of the Capital.ba portal
“Let’s say, SWIFT can be canceled for them, and therefore they won’t be able to send money abroad, receive money from abroad, take loans that they further place here. So the bank may have problems, but if it really happens.”
Banks must stop cooperating with blacklisted persons. This is stated, our interlocutor explains, in the agreement signed by the Central Bank of BiH with the FED.
Zoran Pavlović, economic analyst
“So it is obvious that some pressure was raised to a higher level by the fact that the banks were warned that according to that agreement, which is a big document, they have no right to cooperate financially with people from the blacklists.”
In addition to the blacklisted companies, citizens/employees who essentially only work for a salary and are in no way connected to the sanctions can feel the consequences, it was warned, BHRT writes.
