Pendeš: If individuals participated in the tender cancellation for ammunition procurement, they will be removed from the Ministry of Defence

Minister of Defence of BiH Marina Pendeš, in an interview for the Patria News Agency, commented on the information from the Centre for Security Studies stating that a large number of people believe that corruption in the Armed Forces of BiH is most evident during the recruitment of soldiers and officers, during promotions in service or appointments to BiH military-diplomatic missions worldwide, and a significant percentage is also in the public procurement segment.  

- Generally, the Ministry of Defence of BiH aims to combat corruption. In the last year and a half, we have taken and are taking measures to reduce the level of corruption. I want to tell every young person who meets the competition requirements, and one such competition for officer recruitment is currently underway, to apply, that there is no fear of corruption and that they only help themselves to become officers. If anyone accidentally asks for money or anything else, please report it to me via email, which can be found on the Ministry of Defence of BiH website, or through the ethics line. This will help reduce the risk of corruption – says Pendeš.

PATRIA: Soldiers' salaries are very low. Are there any indications that they might be increased? 

PENDEŠ: As a minister, I am dissatisfied with the salaries, so imagine how dissatisfied the soldiers are. The Law on Salaries defines percentages and coefficients. There is also the Fiscal Council, on whose decisions we depend. If the GDP increase were from 0.9 percent to 1.5, it would be great. We have calculations, we know how much money we need for salary increases. We are fighting for an increase to happen, but I must say that in the region, only soldiers in Croatia have higher salaries, while in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia, they are lower than the salaries of members of the BiH Armed Forces.

PATRIA: Is there consensus in the Council of Ministers to increase budget allocations for the Ministry of Defence of BiH, i.e., the Armed Forces of BiH?

PENDEŠ: There is readiness in the Council of Ministers, as well as in the Presidency of BiH, which has supported our modernization projects for the Armed Forces of BiH, worth 300 million KM. An integral part of the BiH Defence Review, which we must complete by November 30, is precisely the modernization plan, with a projection to increase allocations to 2 percent. But, again, we come to the Fiscal Council, where, alongside the BiH Council of Ministers leadership, sit the entity prime ministers and finance ministers.

PATRIA: Are the entity prime ministers and finance ministers showing readiness to increase allocations for the Ministry of Defence of BiH - Armed Forces of BiH?

PENDEŠ: Of course, the entities are not ready, because they are facing numerous problems, there are social benefits, pensions...

PATRIA: Are both entities equally unready? 

PENDEŠ: Yes, both. Entity finance ministers are fighting to meet budget allocations that are social in nature and do not want to change their stance on increasing allocations for the Ministry of Defence of BiH - Armed Forces of BiH.

PATRIA: If 2 percent of GDP were allocated for the needs of the Armed Forces of BiH, would that be enough to meet all NATO standards? 

PENDEŠ: We would be satisfied even with 1.5 percent. This would satisfy not only the modernization of the Armed Forces of BiH but also the increase in soldiers' salaries.

PATRIA: In recent months, the media have been reporting, based on information from the Joint Defence and Security Committee of the BiH Parliament, that soldiers are hungry, that they buy their own footwear... and is it true that you only have three new uniforms in storage?

PENDEŠ: That is not true! We have significant quantities of uniforms. We are currently working on changes because we are not satisfied with the uniforms for women. They will be re-tailored. The procurement of new uniforms will also take place at the beginning of next year. Also, there was no problem with food in the sense that soldiers were hungry, but there were no spices, fresh fruits, and vegetables... because if you don't have those, you automatically don't meet what is defined by the nutrition regulation that I signed last year.

PATRIA: How did this situation arise?

PENDEŠ: Perhaps it was not planned in time. Tenders failed, there were objective and subjective weaknesses. Now, at all locations, there are spices and fresh fruits and vegetables in the soldiers' meals. For the second time, our tender for ammunition is failing, and BiH has only two factories for its production. I have ordered the formation of a commission due to the tender failures, to conduct an analysis and determine whether there are objective problems or perhaps individuals who led to this. If it is determined that there are individuals who caused the tender failures, as minister, I will take certain measures to prevent such a person from continuing to work in the Ministry of Defence of BiH.  Unfortunately, what I must emphasize is that a significant number of young people have left the Armed Forces of BiH...

PATRIA: Did they state the reasons for leaving?

PENDEŠ: They only submit a request, they do not have to state reasons.

PATRIA: Why are soldiers leaving the Armed Forces of BiH, when just a few years ago, a huge number of young people wanted to be professional soldiers?

PENDEŠ: Most of them believe they will find better jobs in Western Europe. Most of those who have left the Armed Forces of BiH are from the Croatian people. Likewise, as a significant number have left, now they want to return, because Western Europe is not what they expected either. I am not saying that soldiers' salaries are adequate, but currently, we are not in a position to increase salaries.

PATRIA: The Presidency of BiH adopted the guidelines of the BiH Defence Review, and the document was returned to the Ministry of Defence of BiH. 

PENDEŠ: Every country, based on past experiences and potential threats, revises such a document every 5 or 10 years. In 2006, we had the structure of the Armed Forces of BiH defined, the distribution of guidelines, and the threats that BiH faced at that time. Today, 10 years later, the threats are completely different, and based on them, the needs for the size and structure of the Armed Forces of BiH have been expressed. We prepared the Defence Review and submitted it to the Presidency of BiH, from which we received guidelines. Thus, for the size of the Armed Forces of BiH, the Presidency of BiH stated that it should be 9,200 members, with 4,600 reserve members. Instead of 63 prospective locations, it was stated as 57. The new Defence Review is now being prepared and must be completed by November 30.

PATRIA: Belgrade media are pushing the narrative that a private American company, employing retired American generals who were with the HVO in Operation Storm, is involved in the preparation of the BiH Defence Review. They are also questioning their role.

PENDEŠ: The essence is that the USA and the NATO Staff in Sarajevo are assisting the Ministry of Defence of BiH in preparing analyses of certain documents.  The NATO Staff in Sarajevo is our partner, and it helps us achieve certain levels and standards. We indicate whether we need their assistance in certain situations or not. The company being written about is paid for by the USA. And everything the Ministry of Defence of BiH does is transparent, based on the Agreement that the Ministry of Defence of BiH has with the USA, and there is nothing hidden. They are not working alone; they are helping us and are in the role of an objective observer who guides us. 

PATRIA: So, did they prepare the BiH Defence Review?

PENDEŠ: They were only observers. The BiH Defence Review as a document was prepared by the management team of the Ministry of Defence of BiH, not by a company from America.

PATRIA: The conditions from Tallinn are a prerequisite for activating the Membership Action Plan (MAP), and subsequently for membership in the NATO Alliance. What else do we have left? 

PENDEŠ: Registration of property. In the past year, we have managed to register 20 locations, bringing the total to 24 out of 63 locations. All are located in the Federation of BiH. Following the decision of the Appellate Panel of the Court of BiH, which is final, I expect the Veliki Žep facility in Han Pijesak to be registered soon. 

PATRIA: You are optimistic. You say soon. How do you mean soon when the Public Attorney's Office of Republika Srpska has announced an appeal regarding that decision?

PENDEŠ: I do not wish to comment on that at all. The Appellate Panel of the Court of BiH has made a decision, and there is no further discussion after that. The decision is being implemented.  There are 21 locations in the territory of Republika Srpska. I must say that even in the Federation of BiH, things are not going smoothly, as there are problems with unresolved property-legal relations. I do not want this to become a political issue, as the registration is proceeding. Property registration is not only for the benefit of the Armed Forces of BiH but also for the entities. There is a significant number of non-prospective locations, 11 of which are ready for handover to the entities, but the entity governments are not ready to take them over precisely because of unresolved property-legal relations. To be able to invest, clean paperwork is needed, and we have some registered under the former SSNO, some under municipalities, some as social property, some as state property. Until this is clear, no one wants to invest.