We don't want Americans in the FBiH defense industry, but we want them to save our country

By Ernad Metaj

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The defense industry in FBiH, from a profitable and perspective economic branch, could be turned into collateral damage resulting from appeasing various private trading lobbies that reap benefits from cooperation with state-owned companies.

Thanks to the collusion of these lobbies with people in power, the FBiH defense industry has never integrated into NATO industries and turned towards cooperation with the USA and Western countries. Instead, the main markets for the defense industry in FBiH are in Asia and Africa.

How the FBiH Government manages the defense industry is best illustrated by the decision of the Securities Commission of FBiH dated 14.10.2021, which rejects the registration of Kadrija Kolić, Alem Omerhodžić, and Hamid Pršeš as members of the Supervisory Board of UNIS GINEX from Goražde, based on an application from 11.05.2020. Due to political obstruction of the work of the Securities Commission, after a year and four months, the legality of all decisions adopted by the Supervisory Board in GINEX can be called into question.

The fact that neither laws nor the future of the defense industry concern the FBiH Government is shown precisely by this appointment, for which they must have known it was not in accordance with the valid regulations in FBiH. The Commission's decision states that Kolić could not be appointed to the Supervisory Board representing state capital because he is the founder and owner of a 50 percent stake in the company KM Trade from Visoko. Furthermore, the FBiH Government had previously been warned that Kolić was in a conflict of interest due to his position in the company Pobjeda Technology, which does business with GINEX.

In practice, by appointing Kadrija Kolić, those responsible in the FBiH Government have sent a message that instead of protecting the interests of GINEX and state capital, they are favoring the interests of private individuals who profit from the losses of the defense industry. It is no secret that in previous years, all offers from the USA and Western companies interested in acquiring a stake in the ownership of the defense industry in FBiH have generally been rejected. This would ensure the transfer of technology and knowledge, increase productivity, secure larger and more stable markets, and ultimately significantly increase the number of employees.

What a strong strategic partner means was shown by the commitment of the owners of Pobjeda Rudet from Goražde, who sold part of the company to a Turkish investor. They claim that they would not have achieved their current production capacity with any domestic investor. Pobjeda Rudet is in the same category as GINEX; alongside the BiH flag, the Turkish flag flies in front of it. There are no foreign flags in front of GINEX, only dark forebodings that deals in intermediary contracts and transfer prices will ruin one of the most potent companies in the defense industry.

An American or German flag in front of GINEX would symbolically connect the entire complex with the NATO industry and confirm the commitment of the authorities in FBiH to truly fight for the country. As it is, the defense industry most illusorily reflects the political mentality of the authorities in FBiH, who want the USA and the EU to save their country, while keeping the profits exclusively for themselves and a narrow circle of people through whom they operate in the markets of third countries. The best example of what is achieved by this is the strike of Binas workers from Bugojno and the cessation of production in this company. Knowledge from it has been stolen for years and formed the basis of the business of private companies of former managers, and the interest of SIPA in contracts with buyers from Egypt shows how and with whom they did business.