EP BIH Responds to Corruption Allegations

Regarding the accusations and comments made by the head of the USAID mission in BiH, David Barth, about Elektroprivreda BIH at the promotion of the publication "5 Stories of Corruption" issued by the Anti-Corruption Network in BiH ACCOUNT, we consider it necessary to respond in order to protect the business reputation and credibility of the largest power utility company in BiH, according to a statement from the EPBiH Communications Service, reports the BiH news agency Patria. 

The management of Elektroprivreda BiH considers it extremely inappropriate for a high-ranking American official to comment on inaccurate information and sweeping assessments made by a non-governmental organization, and to make accusations that damage the reputation of our company. 

The data on which Mr. Barth singled out Elektroprivreda BiH as a company that misuses public procurement are inaccurate and have already been publicly refuted by us.

We do not doubt that the head of the USAID mission in BiH is aware that Elektroprivreda BiH is one of the largest companies in the country, united in the EPBiH Concern with seven mines among the largest in the region, and that it is a company with revenues exceeding one billion KM. We believe that based on these highlighted facts alone, it is not necessary to emphasize to Mr. Barth that a company of this profile also has an exceptionally large number of procurements, and that it is the largest contracting authority in BiH in terms of the number of tenders announced and their realization. The annual average of procurements is 4,400. In relation to this number, the 97 court decisions made in favor of appellants, which the high-ranking American official speaks of, using inaccurate information from the ACCOUNT network as a source, represent less than 3 percent of the accepted, adjudicated appeals compared to the total number of procurements. Appeals were upheld and procedures were repeated. In contrast to this data and facts, it would be interesting to have data and facts from the ACCOUNT network regarding the number of appeals against their work and the ways they are resolved.

We consider it extremely unacceptable and incorrect to link the deaths of five Zenica miners to public procurement, and in that context, to express views that could have or have a conscious intention to influence public opinion and shape the perception of those responsible and responsibility. With the presented perception of the tragic event in the Raspotočje mine, the head of the USAID mission also seriously damages the reputation of Elektroprivreda BiH, which has invested approximately 150 million KM in mines in the last three years with the primary goal of creating conditions for more humane and safer work for miners.

Elektroprivreda BiH is a company whose operations are based on laws, their consistent implementation, respect, and transparency. We invite Mr. Barth to base his future assessments of Elektroprivreda BiH on his personal experiences within our company. We are open to their realization.

Furthermore, we invite Mr. Barth to concretize his interest in miners by assisting the families of the deceased. Aid directed to them can only be beneficial, unlike the aid provided to non-governmental organizations ("grant stars"), because financing their unprofessionalism only causes damage to particularly successful economic entities.