Traditionally, statistical reports again indicate that Mostar is the most expensive or one of the most expensive cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to live in.
The consumer basket for the month of January of the current year amounted to almost 3.000 BAM, according to the data of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of BiH. Considering the standard of living, these prices cannot be normal. Experts claim that, among other things, one of the main factors influencing this situation is the fact that Mostar is one of the main tourist attractions in BiH, but instead of benefiting, the citizens suffer because of it.
There is no excuse
Marin Bago, president of the Mostar association for consumer protection “Fortuna”, spoke about this problem and the reasons that caused the abnormal prices.
“This situation cannot and must not be acceptable for the citizens of Mostar, because the prices on our market have no justification. In our country, communal activities, transport, water supply, and other activities of public and economic importance are in complete disarray. These are contractual services, and there are no such contracts in Mostar. Therefore, it goes beyond the legal framework and someone there without documents and contracts establishes his own conditions, and in this way, the citizens are being manipulated,” Bago explains.
“On the other hand, something that is not quite true, and is marketed to the public, is that some food products are more expensive in Mostar compared to other cities. This is not always true, because the prices are taken from the average of the items on the shelves. In Mostar, there are items that are more expensive, but which are not available in some other places in BiH, so it turns out that, for example, rice or flour is more expensive in Mostar. Basically, the prices of basic foodstuffs are almost the same as in Zenica, Bijeljina, and other cities of BiH. Citizens do not have to buy these more expensive items,” says Bago.
A disordered system
However, the president of the “Fortuna” association does not deny the fact that Mostar and Siroki Brijeg are traditionally the most expensive places in BiH, and often there is no justification for this.
“Simply, the citizens are victims of disordered systems,” concludes Bago. The problem is evident, but is there a solution in sight and does a solution exist at all? Bago believes that there is strength in unity.
Comparison with Sarajevo
In Mostar, a one-way ticket (local transport) costs 2 BAM, while a one-way ticket in Sarajevo costs 1.40 BAM. A monthly ticket for public transport in Mostar is 57.50 BAM, while the price for a monthly ticket in Sarajevo is 53 BAM. The starting price of a taxi in Mostar is 3 BAM and in Sarajevo 2 BAM. A kilogram of rice is 3.31 BAM in Mostar, and 2.94 BAM in Sarajevo. A kilogram of beef in Mostar is also more expensive by 1 BAM, and apples, bananas, cheese, milk, and fuel are also more expensive.
However, what is cheaper in Mostar compared to the capital of BiH are real estate prices, so a square meter of a flat in the center of Mostar averages 2.534.57 BAM, while in the center of Sarajevo, you will pay about 4.392.59 BAM. In addition to real estate, kindergartens are slightly cheaper in Mostar, and prices in certain restaurants are cheaper.
But the basic difference between the prices in Sarajevo and Mostar is also in the average monthly salaries, so the average monthly net salary in Mostar is 1.182 BAM, while the salary difference in Sarajevo is significant, and it is 1.403 BAM, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
