Who in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) can afford a car worth a hundred thousand BAM, especially in the midst of a pandemic? Few can boast of such luxury. However, there are many politicians, directors of public companies, and other officials on that list. There is one important difference between those who drive in limousines. While the citizens of deeper pockets can finance expensive toys themselves, the cars of the holders of public functions are paid by taxpayers.
While politicians called for savings and announced cuts in the pandemic year 2021, as wallets became increasingly thin, 156 official passenger cars worth 5.6 million BAM were procured in BiH. Procurements are, due to the crisis in the health sector, resignations, and dramatic increases in the price of basic foodstuffs went almost under the radar. The price was not taken into account when choosing the right vehicle.
”Cars have to have the greatest possible comfort, the best possible seats, digital solutions, the best security, audio and video atmosphere complete. That’s what they look for, and somehow there is a competition between them who will have a more expensive car,” Semir Mujkic, an editor of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network BiH (BIRN BiH), pointed out.
While most citizens of BiH go to work by public transport, on foot, or in cars that are barely in running order, for example, the mayor of Prozor-Rama drives a limousine that he bought last year, which costs 112 thousand BAM. Ivancevic did not see anything controversial in this procurement. Last year, the most expensive four-wheeler was taken to the Elektroprivreda HZHB Mostar. It cost around 150 thousand BAM, and that price also includes leather, sports seats with heating, and keyless ignition of a vehicle.
”That’s not normal. The level of our standard and that car… it’s all clear… ”;
”The poor people finance it. My pension, your salary, and his salary. Everything fits into an individual’s budget… “;
”I can’t even drive this two-wheeler, my pension is low…”, said one of the citizens.
Tenders for the purchase of official cars are designed so that, apart from not being directly indicated, a certain brand and model is literally drawn, so there can be no dilemma as to which car is on the wish list of mayors, governors, ministers, and directors. To make things even more serious, only one bidder applies for two-thirds of the tender and he gets the job. There is usually no one to complain about suspicious tenders.
”The bidders agree that one participates in one procedure, the other in another, not to interfere with each other and to offer their goods at the highest possible prices without active competition. So, in the end, we pay cars even more than we should,” claims Damjan Ozegovic from Transparency International BiH.
According to BIRN BiH, the public sector in BiH has more than 6.100 official state passenger cars, and the most expensive is in the garage of the President of Republika Srpska (RS). Its new purchase value is 258 thousand BAM. The cars at the address of the Council of Ministers of BiH are no different.
E. Dz.
Source: BHRT
