God forbid new floods: MPs demand the Council of Ministers urgently create a defence system

The report on the performance audit regarding the activities of BiH institutions in implementing protection and rescue during natural or other disasters, submitted by the Audit Office of BiH Institutions, was presented to the deputies of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, writes Patria.

This audit showed that BiH has done almost nothing on this issue, even after the devastating floods that hit BiH in 2014! The findings and conclusions reached by the audit indicate that BiH institutions have not always undertaken adequate activities to improve capabilities for effective action in crisis situations.

It is stated that the process of adopting planning and operational documents for protection and rescue is lengthy and lacks a functional mechanism that would enable competent institutions to monitor and control their implementation.

Safer Demirović (SDA) pointed out that he is curious what would be written if an audit were conducted of the actual actions taken during natural disasters.

- We have a lot of problems, and the most interesting is the work of the Coordination Body. It was formed in 2009 and has 21 members. The May 2014 floods occurred, the first session was in June, and not even the agenda was adopted – Demirović emphasized.

BiH does not have an established 112 emergency call system, auditors determined, and there is a lack of functionality in the work of the BiH Coordination Body, especially during the crisis situation of the 2014 floods. The inefficiency of re-establishing this body after the expiration of the mandate of previous members is evident.

- I would suggest that the Council of Ministers take its engagement and strengthen the defence system in the territory of BiH – Demirović added.

Aleksandra Pandurević (SDS) thanked the auditors for this report, because it concerns human lives.

- Here we can only state one thing. God forbid new floods. We learned nothing from 2014. In 2013 and 2014, the Coordination Body held 7 sessions, and at those sessions they harmonized the draft rules of procedure, adopted them at the second, and at the third they did not adopt the agenda. Furthermore, they did not have a quorum. They even adopted a work report at the sixth session; I would like to see what is written in that report – Pandurević said.

Mirsad Đonlagić (SBB) pointed out that he had previously raised the issue of abolishing flight allowances, and it is precisely helicopters and pilots who are the first to respond in natural disasters.

- It is absolutely necessary to create a system. The Council of Ministers must act on the conclusions – Đonlagić added.

An analysis prepared by the BiH Armed Forces showed a very unfavourable age structure of the current pilot cadre in the BiH Armed Forces, where the average age of pilots is 42 years. Of the total planned number in the Air Force and Air Defence Brigade, 50% of the positions planned for pilots are filled. The pilot composition should leave the BiH Armed Forces through the retirement process in the next ten years.

- The BiH Armed Forces do not have an established training centre for aviation specialities; this cadre is trained through cooperation with partner countries. The project envisages the education of 39 young pilots. For 2016, according to the planned training dynamics, 13 trainees were to be enrolled in training and schools, and five of them were to complete the training, for which the project allocated funds of about one million KM. The total value of the projects is 7,828,200 KM – the auditors state.

Predrag Kožul (HDZ BiH) pointed out that the report was done well with good recommendations.

- We must be aware that there are also political limitations. I hope that within this area those limitations will be relaxed – Kožul emphasized.