As the city gets dirtier: RAD increases waste collection prices by 75 percent

(Patria) - Citizens of the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, are dissatisfied with the city's cleanliness and often trash is posted on social media, which can be seen in and around containers for days. Despite this, at one of the RAD Supervisory Board meetings, it was decided that RAD's service prices would increase from 2024 by 63 percent for citizens, 75 percent for banks, post offices, and offices, and 60 percent for legal entities.

The Patria News Agency obtained this request and contacted the relevant minister, Almir Bečarević, to verify its authenticity.

"Yes, I can confirm that we have received a proposal for new prices for municipal waste collection. That Supervisory Board played with the price list and did not act on the request of the Competition Council," said Bečarević.

Acting Director of RAD, Vera Arnautović, signed the document she submitted to the ministry.

"She is well aware of what the Competition Council requested and why RAD was fined 50,000 KM.

The price list, I repeat, was requested due to the proceedings before the Competition Council, and only an independent expert body determines the proposed amount of utility fees and submits it to the government for consideration," Bečarević points out.

We asked him if he would act on the decision of the RAD Supervisory Board.

"What I can comment on is that, as the responsible minister, I could only bitterly laugh at the percentage increases in prices and I don't know where these people live. Do they have a shred of empathy for the citizens? Do they have a sense of the citizens' complaints about the city's cleanliness? Do they have a sense when presenting false data about RAD's revenues?

Proposing to increase waste collection prices by 60% to 75% is shameful. The Competition Council did not request an increase in service prices, but differentiated service prices for businesses," Bečarević added.