BHRT's debts are growing, and due to Krešić's appointment to the RTV FBiH Management Board, citizens are announcing they will stop paying the RTV fee

(Patria) - The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ruled on March 24 that Radiotelevizija BiH (BHRT) must pay contributions for 13 BHRT employees to the Federal Pension and Disability Insurance Fund in the total amount of 313,000 KM, which were not paid for eight years, specifically for the periods 2015-2018 and 2020-2023. The total number of employees and the amount owed by BHRT for contributions are unknown, but it is estimated to be in the millions.

The mandate of BHRT's General Director, Belmin Karamehmedović, has expired, and a competition for this position is underway.

BHRT has been facing financial problems for years, and the recent decision to increase the minimum wage in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 1,000 KM has further increased costs.

January salaries had to be adjusted for 503 BHRT employees, but other employee salaries were not increased.

For two years, the state authorities have not resolved the issue of financing and distribution of the RTV fee collected by RTRS. This entity public broadcaster independently withdrew from the RTV fee collection system in 2017, retaining all collected funds for itself, although according to the law, 50 percent should have gone to BHRT and 25 percent to RTV FBiH.

The state Minister of Transport and Communications, Edin Forto, whose responsibility includes resolving the issue of the state RTV service, admitted during a public hearing before the parliamentary anti-corruption commission that there is no solution for BHRT.

Something similar was reiterated by the leader of HDZ, Dragan Čović, during a meeting with journalists on February 14, stating that they have not been able to put this issue on the agenda with their partners for two years.

"We need Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina as something central that must be financed either through instruments as all organized societies do, or through the budget, although I think it's bad to do it through the budget because then it loses its meaning in terms of your freedom," said the president of HDZ, Dragan Čović, at a meeting with journalists, responding to a question from a BHRT journalist about the severe financial crisis facing the public RTV service of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Regarding the collection of the RTV fee, it is mostly collected in the areas of Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica, and Bihać through the bills of JP Elektroprivreda BiH. This collected fee is divided between RTV FBiH and BHRT. During 2024, a dispute arose between RTV FBiH and BHRT, which resulted in a multi-hour suspension of the FTV signal. After a criminal complaint was filed against Belmin Karamehmedović, an agreement was suddenly reached on the distribution of the RTV fee and the continuation of collection through the bills of JP Elektroprivreda BiH.

From March to the end of October 2024, over eight months, the fee collected in FBiH amounted to 20,827,800 KM. Of this amount, the largest payments were made in Sarajevo (6,367,080 KM), Tuzla (5,435,683.50 KM), Zenica (3,815,220.50 KM), Bihać (2,605,702.50 KM), and Travnik (950,040 KM). In Mostar, 666,052.50 KM was collected. If we divide this amount by eight months, the monthly collection from Mostar is 83,256 KM, and when divided by 7.50 KM, which is the RTV fee, it means that approximately 11,100 residents of Mostar pay the RTV fee.

Out of 20,827,800 KM collected through Elektroprivreda BiH, 19,839,779 KM was collected. Direct payments amounted to 705,007.25 KM, and legal entities (hotels, motels) paid 283,013.75 KM.

In the same period, the RTV fee collected in the RS amounted to 13,446,695 KM, and all the money was kept for themselves.

The debt of RTRS from 2017 to date towards BHRT is around 100 million KM, and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ruled in favor of BHRT, stating that RTRS was not allowed to retain the collected RTV fee for itself.

The election of members to the Management Board of RTV FBiH, which includes Zoran Krešić, a figure close to HDZ known for glorifying Herceg-Bosna, calling for blockades of the Federation of BiH, and a series of controversial views on Bosniaks, has raised the question of further RTV fee collection.

Numerous citizens on social networks are announcing that they will stop paying the RTV fee due to Krešić's appointment to the Management Board of RTV FBiH.