Working team appointed to find solution for hundreds of millions of GRAS debts

(Patria) - The Sarajevo Canton Government, considering the scope and complexity of problems in the operations of KJKP “Gras”, at today's session appointed a Working Team that will submit to the KS Government proposals for resolving the extensive and complex problems in this company.

From 2000 until today, large financial debts have accumulated in “Gras” on several grounds. The recovery programs and measures implemented so far have not yielded the expected results. A large number of employees, inadequate job systematization, the existence of a significant number of disabled workers, as well as lawsuits by workers due to non-compliance with the Collective Agreement, continue to complicate the existing situation.

The total debt of the company to the Tax Administration of the Federation of BiH as of December 31, 2018, amounts to approximately 187,887,000 KM, of which the principal debt is approximately 96 million KM, and interest is 86 million. Taxes were not paid from January 2009 to December 2016.

The debt to the Indirect Taxation Authority amounts to 28.4 million KM, of which the principal debt is 19 million KM, interest about 8.6 million, and enforcement costs 760,000 KM.

According to GRAS's estimate, the total amount of lawsuits for the period 2009 – 2015 due to non-compliance with the Collective Agreement for utility activities amounts to approximately 60 million KM.

KJKP "Gras" has sued the Sarajevo Canton for covering losses due to the difference in the established price of public passenger transport for the period from 2007 to 2017, and the amount of the lawsuit is 104 million KM.

Currently, 177 disabled workers are employed at “Gras”, for whom it is necessary to undertake activities for their care, and there is also a clear problem of already retired workers under unfavorable conditions who have minimal pensions because taxes and contributions were not paid for them.

“It is indisputable that these are burning problems of ‘Gras’, which the Ministry of Transport cannot solve without the help and support of other departments in the Government. That is why we have formed this working team, which, in addition to the Minister of Transport, includes Prime Minister Edin Forto, and the ministers of finance, justice, and labor and social policy, Amel Kovačević, Lejla Brčić, and Malik Garibija, and who will, each from their own department, offer possible solutions to these problems,” stated Minister of Transport Adnan Šteta at today's session.