Tens of Millions of KM Would Flow into Someone's Pockets Annually

The oldest Bosnian-Herzegovinian company for the production of orthopedic aids, „Neretva“ d.d. from Sarajevo, could soon lose its main business premises, and 24 workers of this company will be left on the street, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

In order to settle debts to workers, their unpaid salaries and contributions, the Municipal Court in Sarajevo is selling the premises of „Neretva“, which still house the workers and production machines. When a buyer appears, the workers will receive part of the unpaid salaries, but also their work books, because they will no longer have a place to come to work.

Employees of this state-owned company, which has a 66-year tradition, sued the company for unpaid salaries and other obligations. The Municipal Court in Sarajevo ruled in their favor. However, to settle the obligations, the Court is now selling their main business premises, after which the workers will have to go to the street.

Even stranger is that the Court is selling about 800 square meters of luxurious „Neretva“ real estate in the strict center of the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina for only about 240,000 KM (one third of the estimated value), even though a square meter of residential space at this location cannot be bought for less than 2,000 KM.

For comparison, a private apartment of 70 square meters, located right next to „Neretva“, is being sold for 150,000 KM.

The director of „Neretva“, Senad Osmanagić, confirmed in an interview with the Patria agency that the company "Neretva" owes workers part of their salaries and contributions, but that there are several models to save „Neretva“ from collapse without selling the main business premises. However, the authorities of the Sarajevo Canton, especially the Ministry of Economy of the Sarajevo Canton, headed by former Lijanović cadre Emir Hrenovica, he says, for some reason does not want to help this state-owned company.

- „Neretva“ has two other attractive properties that we do not use. If we sold them, we would settle obligations to workers, preserve the company premises where we now work, and we would still have funds left for investment in further production – says Osmanagić.

- One of those properties is an old house with a yard in the old part of Sarajevo, and the other is a shop in the center of Mostar. Together, they can be sold at a much higher price than the property on Kemal begova street – he adds.

The market for orthopedic aids in BiH is huge. Experts estimate that in our country alone, the annual turnover of orthopedic aids is worth tens of millions of marks. It is precisely in this fact that the answer may lie as to why the authorities of the Sarajevo Canton want to destroy "Neretva". The disappearance of „Neretva“ would mean more business for foreign and private companies engaged in the same work. In the Sarajevo Canton alone, there are three of them. Director Osmanagić wonders where those companies were during the aggression against BiH, when „Neretva“ played an important role in producing orthopedic aids for wounded soldiers of the Army of the Republic of BiH and civilians of this country.

- „Neretva“ was founded in 1948 after the end of World War II. What we do in our workshops can hardly be done anywhere else in BiH. I don't know who is bothered by this company, whose products are desirable in all markets of the world – says Osmanagić, writes NAP.