Session of the PFBiH House of Representatives continues: Lakić explained the law, deputies posed numerous questions to the FBiH Government

(Patria) - After a break, the urgent session of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina continued. The Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry, Vedran Lakić, arrived at the session and explained the Proposal of the Law on Emergency Administration in the New Zenica Steelworks.

“The law introduces a special, one-time and judicially controlled procedure of emergency administration. This administration should enable business operations to be brought under control and a restructuring plan to be prepared. The moratorium provided for by the law is not a write-off of debt. The goal is not to hide debts, but to report them, examine them and resolve them through a plan confirmed by the Court,” said Lakić.

The head of the DF Club, Mahir Mešalić, said that all this is being done to prevent the company from going into bankruptcy on June 26.

"You didn't give us time. This is a special law only for this company. I hope that in this way we will also get Aluminij back, which is of strategic importance for the state. As the DF Club, we will support it only because it is a lifeline for the workers and jobs, and for the subcontractors, because that is a huge number of people in the ZDK area. We will closely monitor what you do. Because neither you, Prime Minister Nikšić, nor you, Minister Lakić, can say that you will save the Steelworks. Don't think that we haven't had calls to vote one way or another. We reluctantly voted with you. Because we also disagree with your method of work. Some people from the government thanked us. I could list for you point by point everything that is wrong with the law," said Mešalić.

The SDA Club has a similar stance.

“The SDA Club will support the Law, but only to expose this pre-election lie. The SDA will not be the one to extinguish a glimmer of hope and salvation for the workers, but be aware that you will bear the burden of all this that you are doing,” said deputy Adnan Efendić, who asked whether Energoinvest has the money for this plan and where the ore will be procured.

During the discussion, deputies posed a series of questions to the relevant minister and the FBiH Government, including where they will find money to restart production, whether there will be layoffs, who will manage the Steelworks, and what the initial work plan of the Steelworks will look like.

Some deputies believe that an arbitration procedure could occur and ask who will bear responsibility in that case.

Haris Silajdžić from the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina said that the bankruptcy procedure is inevitable.

"How much will gas increase in price from July 1? How much will it cost to start that production, and how much will it cost when gas becomes more expensive? How much will electricity increase in price for the Steelworks? Why don't you tell the workers the truth? Input parameters for steel are rising. The Government is incapable of managing Elektroprivreda, let alone a steel factory, and we will not support this law," said Silajdžić.

Lakić responded to the deputies' questions, stating that he cannot guarantee anything because he does not even know whether the law will be adopted.

The minister said that he saw interest in saving the Steelworks from both domestic and foreign companies.

He noted that Energoinvest is a good example of good management without involving the FBiH Budget.

Given the proposed amendments, a one-hour break was requested so that the FBiH Government could state its position.