Hećo warns Kozadra: I will send you fighters to tell them where their nine million KM are

The situation in Sarajevo Canton has never been more difficult, and financial problems are reflected in all segments of society, especially in the standards of citizens in this canton, writes the BH news agency Patria. Thus, the storm regarding the problems with scholarship payments for children of the veteran population is not subsiding.

Faid Hećo, Minister for Veteran Affairs of KS, reacted to the statements of Čedomir Lukić, Minister of Housing Policy, calling him the "new spokesperson" of acting Prime Minister Muhamed Kozadra. Otherwise, if the Decision on appointing the president and member of the Management Board of the "IKRE" Fund is not adopted at the next session of the Sarajevo Canton Government, the payment of scholarships for children of martyrs, fallen fighters, disabled war veterans, recipients of war decorations and honors, paraplegic disabled war veterans, demobilized fighters, as well as other categories entitled to this scholarship will be jeopardized, and the complete work and functioning of the "IKRE" Fund will be prevented.

"The 'new spokesperson' of acting Prime Minister Muhamed Kozadra and ministers from the SDA party in the Sarajevo Canton Government, Minister of Housing Policy Čedomir Lukić, by presenting untruths and arbitrary conclusions, is trying to mislead the public and shift the blame of party ministers from the SDA to imaginary errors in the procedure of adopting the Decision on appointing the president and member of the Management Board of the 'Ikre' Fund. I don't know what guided Minister Lukić when he arbitrarily stated that some appointment procedures were not completed" - says Hećo.

He further notes that the entire procedure for electing the president and member of the Management Board of the "IKRE" Fund was carried out in accordance with the legal regulations governing this area.

"I am surprised that Minister Lukić, and not Muhamed Kozadra, reacted to my public statement and statements regarding it. I suggest that the Minister of Housing Policy Lukić stop playing the 'legal expert' and 'spokesperson' for the acting Prime Minister and the group of ministers from the SDA party in the Sarajevo Canton Government, but rather finally start minding his own business for which he receives a salary and for which he is responsible, and to hand over the keys to a large number of apartments that are empty and for which the Government pays huge utility bills for the use of housing-unprovided veteran population" - notes Hećo.

He is particularly concerned by the statement that the planned funds in the Budget for veteran categories are to be replaced with some loan that the Ministry is allegedly supposed to apply for.

"My requests for funds intended for this Ministry by the Budget should not be realized by any application for loan funds. As far as I know, this loan is intended to consolidate the deficit of the Sarajevo Canton Budget, due to the poor inflow of funds into the Budget and the non-transparent spending of funds" - added Hećo.

Hećo also called on acting Prime Minister Kozadra to gather enough personal courage and answer: Why, since he took office, has he continuously obstructed the work of the Ministry for Veteran Affairs and not made payments of budgetary funds planned for veteran categories that are legally due to them, instead of presenting untrue facts through his spokespersons and misleading and deceiving the public.

"Based on all of the above, from now on, I will direct fighters-defenders and their family members, Golden Lilies, disabled war veterans, martyr and fallen fighter families, as well as other members of the veteran population to directly seek their unpaid nine million KM, which are legally due to them, from the Ministry of Finance from the acting Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton Government, and let him tell them that instead of the planned budgetary funds that belong to them, they should realize their rights by applying for operational loan funds" - added Hećo.