BHRT's assets up for sale, will the state stand behind BiH's Public Service?

(Patria) - BHRT's assets are up for sale through an announced public auction. This is a decision by the Municipal Court in Sarajevo due to a debt of 16 million marks to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

The auction is scheduled for September 25, and in the coming days, BHRT faces the dismemberment of assets created by previous generations.

Debt to EBU

The public must know that BHRT cannot pay its debt to the EBU without state assistance. Especially since the problem of financing public services has not been resolved, the media house stated.

BHRT could be left without its assets as early as next week. The Municipal Court in Sarajevo has ordered the sale of BHRT's real estate to pay off the debt to the EBU, which exceeds 16 million marks.

The auction is next Wednesday. There is little time, but it is a clear indicator of the consequences of the situation BHRT has been brought into.

- This is also a consequence of the neglect, primarily by the BiH Parliament, then the Council of Ministers, and other competent institutions towards the state's Public Service, even though we have been warning for years about the difficult position we are in.

Someone will have to answer the difficult questions we have been asking for years if this auction concludes unfavorably for BHRT.

This indicates the state BHRT is in and a preview of what could happen to BHRT, which is the disappearance of the Public Service at the state level - warns BHRT General Director Belmin Karamehmedović.

And this could have been prevented in 2017, since which time RTRs has been withholding all revenue from the collected fee in that entity. It does not transfer money to BHRT's account, even though the law clearly stipulates it.

Currently, RTRs' debt to BHRT amounts to almost 90 million marks. It is clear that with that money, BHRT would solve numerous problems, but it currently has no way to exercise its rights.

The relevant minister promises - he will seek to discuss this at a session of the BiH Council of Ministers.

- I will ask the Council of Ministers to assist BHRT and to open a new budget item that would help BHRT overcome this.

It is absurd to put assets valued at 150 million KM on the auction block for a debt of 16 million. In some international contexts, that is not a huge debt; for BHRT, it is, but not for the state - says the Minister of Communications and Transport of BiH, Edin Forto.

And that is why the state is expected to stand behind the Public Service of BiH. BHRT, as well as the BiH Prosecutor's Office, have filed an appeal against the court's decision.

Court proceedings underway

It is precisely the Prosecutor's Office that, in accordance with its competencies, can take measures to protect assets and stop or postpone the auction.

Court proceedings are underway before the Cantonal Court, as well as the Constitutional Court of BiH, to determine the nature of the assets belonging to BHRT.

- The BiH Prosecutor's Office will undertake urgent legal steps to protect the assets and property interests of BiH, in relation to the scheduled first sale of real estate before the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, considering the fact that these are real estate properties that were registered as state property - announced the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

- It is now being determined whether it is state property, and if so, then it would be protected by the High Representative's decision and could not be disposed of until further notice - states the General Director of BHRT.

And what will happen depends on the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo, which offered no specific explanations.

- We inform you that the case is in the 'open' status and is not on the Case Resolution Plan list in the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo - the court stated.

Lawyers explain that this means the case is prepared and will be processed, but there is no record of exactly when.

While awaiting the court's decision on the appeal, employees expect support from the authorities in resolving debts, including those owed to the employees themselves.

Contributions have not been paid for years, and this amounts to millions in debt. Is it then realistic for everyone to collect their debts before the BHRT employees themselves?

- We have been working in very difficult conditions for years, the problem of financing public services in BiH has not yet been adequately resolved, we have a problem with the departure of quality staff.

Many facilities are in very poor condition, and we hope this will be resolved in the coming period; we have politicians' promises - these are the words of the Vice-President of the Independent Trade Union of Workers at BHRT, Edis Fočo.

We don't believe in promises, but we do believe in concrete state assistance and the protection of BHRT's assets. Because these assets were created and preserved by previous generations.