Bečarević responds to Konaković: If it doesn't matter who the transporter is, why does it matter to Čović to want a new company?

(Patria) - The Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH and the president of the People and Justice (NiP) party, Elmedin Konaković, today belittled the role of the BH Gas company in the realization of the South Interconnection gas pipeline construction project.

Addressing a yearly press conference in Sarajevo, Konaković stated, among other things, that the South Interconnection is "truly a nice conclusion to a 'tense story' on which everyone completely agrees".

- I am immensely happy because we are getting stability, geopolitical and economic, through an American investment where they take on the obligation of investing, delivery, distribution, control, and servicing – thus without costs.

- That famous question – BH-Gas or not – I think we are perhaps overemphasizing it, because what will happen in 30 years, for example, I even think the concession can be up to 50 years. Will there be some BH-Gas in 50 years or not, for us to position it now and say it is imperative. For me, it is not imperative.

This can be resolved with one sentence stating that "the Government of the Federation of BiH will determine who takes over the infrastructure five years before the concession expires" – Konaković said.

He also assessed that the dynamics around this key infrastructure project are "good, solid" and that the role of the BH Gas company can be regulated through its owner – the Government of FBiH.

- Will the Government form a new company by then, will it integrate something? Will these four in the Canton of Sarajevo: Energoinvest – BH Gas, BH Gas – Sarajevogas, Sarajevogas – Heating Plants, Heating Plants – users.

And on these four verticals, people pay a margin for what ultimately every citizen uses. The Government of FBiH takes over the infrastructure, to whom it entrusts it, to whomever it wants – Konaković added.

Almir Bečarević, former Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection of Sarajevo Canton and an energy expert, commenting on Konaković's statement, said that it is "proof of how much politicians, or this politician, understand this issue at all".

- The 'four verticals' are the basis of the Third Energy Directive of the EU, which completely separates activities in the gas sector. So, we have a gas trader, we have a transporter, and we have a gas distributor.

Heating plants are not in this chain at all because they are an independent energy entity that can use fuel oil instead of gas – Bečarević says in a statement to the News Agency Patria (NAP).

According to him, this division is the same as in electricity, where for years we have been waiting for distribution to be separated from the Public Enterprise (JP) Elektroprivreda BiH into independent companies, and energy transmission (transport) has already been separated through Elektroprijenos.

- At the same time, if it doesn't matter who will take over the South Interconnection after 30 years, why does it matter to Čović? If it doesn't matter who the transporter is, why does it matter to Čović to want a new company? If it doesn't matter who the transporter is, why is there one state gas transporter in Croatia – Plinacro – Bečarević asked.

He emphasizes that it is difficult to explain to policies that do not want to listen to those who brought the South Interconnection to the main project what the significance of that project is and what we are leaving to our children.

- We would have five gas transporters in Bosnia and Herzegovina now (three in Republika Srpska, and two in the Federation of BiH) on the shortest transport network length.

For comparison, Slovenia has one transporter, Croatia has one, Serbia has two (without the Turk Stream/Gazprom network from Russia), Bulgaria has one, Romania has one, Ukraine has one, Hungary has two transporters (one with a short transport length), etc.

If it weren't sad, it would be laughable, Bečarević concluded in his conversation with NAP.

(D.K.)