Džafić vs. Mandžo: Results versus political suitability and godparenthood

By A. Čorbo-Zećo

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Željeznice FBiH have achieved great success in the last four years under the leadership of General Director Enis Džafić. The period of rescuing the company is over, and Željeznice FBiH are achieving enviable results on the EU market today. 

However, all this is not enough for SDA to keep in a new mandate someone who truly works and experiences the company as his own. True, part of SDA cares, and another part wants to 'employ' their godson. The Supervisory Board

of Željeznice FBiH decided not to act on the earlier consent of the Government of the Federation of BiH for the appointment of the general director of that public enterprise. The Government proposed the appointment of Enis Džafić (SDA), and the Supervisory Board appointed Rešad Mandžo, Denis Zvizdić's godson, as director of "Željeznice FBiH" instead of the proposed Džafić.
At the SDA Cadre Commission, Zvizdić and Adil Osmanović supported the appointment of Mandžo. They did not even look at Džafić's business performance. 

In the past four years, Željeznice FBiH have recorded a constant growth in operating profit before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), as follows: 2016 – KM 6.2 million; 2017 – KM 18.9 million; 2018 – KM 19 million; 2019 – KM 22.7 million. 

When Džafić took over the leadership of Željeznice FBiH, he found a company burdened with multi-million obligations, supplier lawsuits, and all employees unable to exercise their rights from health insurance, as well as the right to retire after meeting the conditions. This speaks volumes about the state of the company.

He was faced with 13 trade unions. Now, all employees regularly receive their salaries with duly paid contributions.
However, as we have learned, Džafić openly opposed SDA's practice of using state companies as ATMs.

He was prepared to donate his personal money for the elections, but he refused to engage in 'shady' dealings and money laundering from Željeznice under any circumstances.

Džafić also fell out of favor with HDZ BiH and SBB because he did not agree to the appointment of their executive directors.

Naser Beganović (SBB) was in a conflict of interest, and Željeznice Federacije BiH had not been able to appoint a Management Board since 2015 because Džafić refused to be blackmailed.

The Government of FBiH wanted to make a concession to HDZ BiH, as their candidate (Zulfo Robović) did not meet the conditions required by the competition, but Džafić refused to make concessions.

That is why HDZ and SBB are silent now. The Supervisory Board of Željeznice violated Decrees and Laws.
It seems that no one looked at the work results, but rather at political suitability.
Otherwise, the debts in Željeznice were mostly incurred before 2015, and have been duly serviced in the last four years.

Obligations incurred before 2015 and paid in the last 4 years are:
1. Obligations to UniCredit Bank under the loan agreement from 2010 in the amount of KM 56 million,
2. Unpaid obligations to public funds in the amount of KM 26 million,
3. Obligations to the company Končar Zagreb under the contract from 2008 for the purchase of an electric multiple unit and repair of 9 locomotives in the amount of KM 22 million,
4. Obligations to HŽ Cargo from 2012 in the amount of KM 9 million