BHRT needs BAM 900,000 in monthly co-financing, is a dark scenario looming for 800 employees?

(Patria) - The day before the BHRT employees' protest, which will be held on BiH Square on November 27 due to the extremely difficult financial situation and the increasingly likely shutdown of the Public Service of BiH, the Commission for Transport and Communications will convene.

At the session, they will consider the letter from the acting General Director of BHRT, Belmin Karamehmedović, regarding the current situation at BHRT.

In the letter sent to multiple addresses, Karamehmedović detailed all the debts BHRT has, court rulings it has lost, ongoing court proceedings, and requested that state authorities and competent institutions allocate BAM 900,000 monthly for the survival of BHRT.

Karamehmedović reminded that BHRT experienced a significant financial blow after the increase in the minimum wage, as adjustments were necessary for over 500 employees.

He stated that the entire monthly revenue from the collection of the RTV fee is used for salary payments.

Although the largest debt is for taxes and contributions on employee salaries, amounting to BAM 54,280,738, BHRT's assets could soon be seized and its accounts blocked due to debt to the EBU.

The EBU has set a deadline of February 26, 2026, for the settlement of the debt, otherwise, it will seek legal means to collect the claims. The debt to the EBU amounts to BAM 21,231,918.

Karamehmedović reminds that RTRS owes BHRT more than BAM 100 million for collected fees, which it has not paid to the Public Service of BiH for years.

"We expect that for BHRT, whose founder is Bosnia and Herzegovina, a way for temporary co-financing will be URGENTLY found, for example, as has been done for cultural and educational institutions whose founder is Bosnia and Herzegovina and whose financing is obstructed, as is the case with BHRT, by Republika Srpska.

We call for an URGENT resolution of the financing issue for Radio Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from RAK's surplus revenue, from the Central Bank's profit, from the state budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or in some other way), i.e., that BHRT be co-financed monthly in the amount of approximately BAM 900,000 to compensate for the revenue from the RTV fee from Republika Srpska, which RTRS does not pay to BHRT.

BHRT needs urgent financial assistance, because if it does not receive it, the end of the public media service of BiH is certain in a very short period," states the letter signed by Karamehmedović and sent to a number of domestic and foreign addresses.