Public companies in BiH increased procurement in election years

In the past four and a half years, institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina have spent almost seven billion KM on the procurement of goods, services, and works. Almost a third of the money was spent through public procurement in electric power companies, thermal power plants, and mines, as well as other companies in the electric power sector, announced the BiH Center for Investigative Journalism, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The majority of the money went to mining machinery, fuel, and electricity, but some money also went to alcohol, cured meats, and sweets.

These data were taken from the Official Gazette of BiH, which publishes most public procurements conducted through open and negotiated procedures with data publication, but the publication of procurements conducted through competitive requests or direct agreements, for example, is not mandatory. The data was processed by journalists from the Center for Investigative Journalism and published in an easily searchable database.

The largest amount of money – slightly over a billion KM – was spent by "Elektroprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine" (Electric Utility of Bosnia and Herzegovina), along with its subsidiaries – mines and thermal power plants. "Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske" (Electric Utility of Republika Srpska), along with its mines and thermal power plants, spent slightly less than 733 million KM. "Elektroprivreda Hrvatske zajednice Herceg Bosne" (Electric Utility of the Croatian Community of Herceg Bosna) spent 425.5 million KM in the mentioned period, purchasing, among other things, electricity, as this company does not have sufficient production of its own.

In four and a half years, over 7,000 contracts were concluded, and the most jobs were awarded to the companies: "Elnos BL" and "Nestro Petrol" from Banja Luka, "Treasure" from Zenica, and "Termoelektro" from Brčko. On the other hand, some companies had a smaller number of contracts, but they were more valuable considering the achieved price, as is the case with "Rudnap" from Banja Luka. This company, based on two contracts, generated revenue of 212.2 million KM, doing business with "Elektroprivreda HZHB".

The companies from Sarajevo and Banja Luka received the most money in the energy sector. They are followed by cities where energy facilities and mines are located or in their vicinity: Mostar, Zenica, Tuzla, Bijeljina, Gacko, Lukavac.

The analysis of the collected data shows that public electric power companies spend significantly more money through public procurement in election years. Thus, for example, in 2012, when local elections were held, 640.8 million marks were spent, and in the following year, 388.8 million KM. A year later, when general elections were held, 524.3 million KM was spent.

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