The latest news from the federal government has worried many – from businessmen to citizens. What does the state of threatened security of electricity supply mean in practice? Larger bills for businessmen, citizens spared for now. Elektroprivreda BiH is still faced with unfavorable circumstances and large debts. Did the Government of the Federation lend a helping hand and to whom?
Businessmen are worried, citizens are afraid of a new economic blow. The increase remains within the legal framework – a maximum of 20 percent. A kind of consolation, but how comforting is the fact for companies whose operations are already threatened? Elektroprivreda BiH – for years a symbol of successful business, now the company is in debt. One of the reasons – extremely low amount of coal.
“The missing quantities of coal from the mines of the were replaced by purchases from third parties so that the supply of primarily domestic customers would not be threatened. The aforementioned realized production results led to a significant reduction of balance surpluses intended for sale on the market and the realization of income on that basis. The situation inevitably affected the company’s financial operations and negative results”, it was stated, among other things, in the press release of the Elektro Privreda BiH.
Reduced production in mines in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The administration is piling up, but so are the debts. In the electric power sector, as in other fields in Bosnia and Herzegovina, political interests rule. There are many reasons, the federal prime minister has concrete arguments.
“The price of the electricity we supply is lower than the production price, so it is certain that Elektroprivreda must enter into the process of increasing electricity prices. It’s for the economy. We will not increase the price of electricity for households”, said Nermin Nikšić, Prime Minister of FBiH.
“Our plan is to try everything to make this 20 percent increase for the economy only in 2024. What is realistic is that we will go to the extreme to ensure that there are no price increases for citizens in 2024. But I will have to mention that extensive analyzes have shown that we are not saving electricity, we believe that we have it in unlimited quantities,” said Federal Minister of Energy Vedran Lakić.
And no one takes the blame. The ball of responsibility is passed from one convocation to another. The rulers are looking for the culprit for the accumulated debts in the actions of their predecessors. Former Prime Minister Fadil Novalić advises to look for them in their ranks.
“The economy is already paying for electricity, which makes a very good profit. It is very late now to produce electricity and export it because there is no coal. “Just the other day, they came back to the fact that they also buy 400,000 tons of coal,” Novalić said.
Complex work, many problems. Instead of profits being more numerous because there are resources, minuses and debts are piling up. The rulers warn – energy stability is threatened. He reaches for the tried and tested recipe – bigger bills. Criticism of the current opposition, and the former ruling party, does not abate.
“You threatened the energy stability of the country and therefore you should be tried for serious crimes at the level of a coup d’état. Your intention was to transfer the consequences of crime, incompetence and ignorance to the rise in prices for citizens and the economy,” said Aner Žuljević, a representative in the FBiH House of Representatives.
While a solution is being sought, employers welcome yesterday’s decision of the FBiH Government, but also warn: They are not obliged to pay the price for someone else’s ill-advised moves. Larger bills for businessmen will indirectly, but surely, lead to a worse standard of living for citizens.
“This will lead to an increase in the prices of goods and services, so the Government’s argument that the price of electricity for citizens will not increase is invalid. Yes, but the citizens will feel the increase in another way”, says Mario Nenadić, director of the FBiH Employers’ Association.
The increase is inevitable, a way out of debt is being sought, accusations are being made, the culprit is being sought, and the citizens are paying a high price. The calculation is clear. The price of electricity for businessmen in the Federation is 72 euros. At the same time, a price of 140 euros is recorded on the stock market. Therefore, if the legal framework and the prescribed 20 percent are respected, the stable operation of Elektroprivreda BiH could be questionable.
