Bečarević: Sarajevo Canton Government Increases Service Prices Instead of Reforming Public Companies

(Patria) - Almir Bečarević, President of the Cantonal Board of the Party for BiH Sarajevo and former Minister of Communal Economy of the Sarajevo Canton (March-November 2023), analyzed what has become more expensive during 2025, a year that can already be characterized as a year of increased prices for communal services in the Sarajevo Canton.

"All price increases that have occurred or will occur have been implemented without any restructuring or reforms being carried out in KJKP. When increasing service prices, the public was informed either through notices about the percentage increase or through an increase in the unit price of services," states Bečarević.

In the following overview, we will present the increase in communal service prices through percentage increases:

HEATING
Increase in the price of central heating by 3.98%.

WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE
Increase in the price of water for consumers using 5-30 cubic meters by 33%.
Increase in the fixed part of the price by 63%.

SARAJEVOGAS
Increase in the price for maintenance of measuring and regulating devices for natural gas/households by 70%.

GRAS (Public Transport)
Increase in the unit price of a ticket by 22%.
Increase in the price of a commercial ticket by 17.5%.

FUNERAL SERVICES
Increase in the fee for the use of a grave plot by 78%.
Increase in the price of land for the burial of adult persons by 327%.
Increase in the price for grave excavation by 78%.

MARKETS
New prices adopted, but not publicly announced.

RAD (Waste Management)
The increase in the price of waste collection is in the process of being formed, and the estimate is that the increase will not be less than 30%.

"As Prime Minister Uk once said, this is a responsible and politically brave decision. At the same time, subsidies from the budget for various reasons amount to 100 million KM. Simultaneously, in the last year, the price of electricity has also increased, including in the Sarajevo Canton, by an average of 18%. In addition, some private kindergartens in the Sarajevo Canton have increased the prices of their services by approximately 10%. The price increase in shopping centers and markets is evident and noticeable, but it is not the subject of this announcement.

In conclusion, the given overview reflects the attitude of the authorities in the Sarajevo Canton towards KJKP, which is not implementing reforms of cantonal companies but is trying to reduce losses in KJKP's operations through price increases at the expense of citizens and businesses. In the Sarajevo Canton, KJKP has over 150 million in uncollected receivables," Bečarević states.