It is up to Badnjević after all: Ministry of Finance denies IDDEEA, you restructured the budget and did not replace the devices

(Patria) - The Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH denied the Agency for Identification Documents, Records and Data Exchange of BiH (IDDEEA) in relation to the published text titled "Notice on malfunction of information equipment under the jurisdiction of IDDEEA".

"The text itself states that as of noon on March 21, 2024, the Agency has been experiencing problems with its information equipment, which has led to difficulties in the system's operation, making IDDEEA unable to ensure continuity in providing services to users.

As a reason for the inability to provide services to users, IDDEEA cites, among other things, a lack of budget funds for equipment procurement.

On this occasion, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH denies IDDEEA's claims due to the fact that the funds approved for this user in 2022 for equipment procurement amounted to BAM 2,856,000.00, but only 22% were realized. If we add the fact that IDDEEA used IPA funds for equipment procurement in 2022, the question arises why vital equipment, which is now malfunctioning and jeopardizing service provision to citizens, was not procured from all available funds.

Also, in the 2023 budget, the funds planned for equipment procurement for this Agency amounted to BAM 3,061,000.00. However, IDDEEA restructured funds to other positions and again did not procure the necessary telecommunications equipment that is now malfunctioning. On the contrary, at the end of 2023, equipment related to video surveillance was procured from restructured funds, which has a similar purpose to the control systems procured a year earlier through IPA Funds. At the same time, half of the planned budget funds in 2023 remained unspent.

It is important to note that sufficient funds were planned for this budget user in the previous period to perform its core responsibilities, but these funds were often repurposed.

Due to all of the above, we want to inform the public that the amount of funds approved for IDDEEA in previous years' budgets was not the reason for the problems with the information equipment, and the available funds are not the reason for the inability to provide services to citizens," the Ministry of Finance announced.

We remind that Almir Badnjević (appointed in June) is at the head of IDDEEA and has held this position for almost the entire past year, so it remains unclear why the necessary devices were not purchased, especially now when the Ministry of Finance claims they have the money!