Šaljić calls out KS Government and Pandurević: Provide heating to Vogošća residents or don't come to work, you're resigning anyway

(Patria) - Gentlemen from the Sarajevo Canton (KS) Government and esteemed Minister Pandurević - provide heating in Vogošća or don't come to work anymore, as you are resigning anyway, stated today KS Assembly delegate Jasmin Šaljić (SBiH).

In a statement to the Patria News Agency (NAP), Šaljić reminded that there has been no heating in Vogošća for days, specifically since March 22.

The KS Government previously dismissed Enis Džihanić, director of the company BAGS - Energotehnika, which distributes thermal energy in Vogošća, and Mirza Musić - who took over as acting director on March 18 - resigned after only 10 days in that position.

- Minister Pandurević has fallen silent, while the KS Government, as always in these and similar situations, is silent. Citizens are left to themselves and left to freeze - emphasizes Šaljić, adding that this has happened several times in the last three years.

Perhaps the Government and the prime minister in resignation, our interlocutor continues, thought that if they replaced the director of BAGS and appointed a new one, fuel oil would no longer be needed for heating?

- As a delegate in the KS Assembly, I call on the minister, the prime minister, and the KS Government to react urgently and provide fuel oil so that heating can be turned on for the citizens of Vogošća.

The solution is simple, gentlemen, you have done it before, the case from last year is well known to the media - acting minister Šteta found money. He didn't find any money, but he turned to the KS commodity reserves.

Prime Minister of the KS in resignation, you only need to order the commodity reserves in the Canton to deliver fuel oil to the cantonal company BAGS in Vogošća so that it can turn on the heating and instruct them to return or pay the debt or fuel oil - Šaljić stated.

He emphasizes that such behavior of the Government, and especially the relevant ministry, towards citizens who expect heating services for which they pay regularly throughout the year is absolutely unacceptable.

- Almost every utility company, except for Park - which is holding up relatively well, this government has brought to the lowest level. Utility companies have been devastated, truly from the ground up.

The company BAGS, which distributes thermal energy in Vogošća, is not spared either. The company BAGS is 66.4 percent owned by KS, while small shareholders are the other owners.

This company currently has only 16 employees, while ten years ago it had more than 55. The current KS Government has led this company to multi-million dollar losses in the past five years.

Millions in lawsuits from suppliers have also come due. A company from Banja Luka is claiming KM 1,200,000 plus interest, Hifa is claiming KM 300,000, but due to the dishonesty of this Government, it is now also seeking interest, although it had avoided it until now. And the interest alone amounts to about KM 300,000.

Shareholders are also preparing a lawsuit due to property, as the Canton plans to alienate a certain part of the property where Peračko vrelo is located and make it available to the cantonal company VIK.

All these debts were incurred because the KS Government is late with payments to the company BAGS, constantly plans less money in the budget for this purpose for heating residents in Vogošća, and there are also the police station, kindergarten, elementary school, and the Volkswagen company - states Šaljić.

According to him, the current KS Government would prefer to buy electric heaters (convectors) for the citizens. They even unofficially offered this to the citizens because they consider this obligation a burden.

- Instead of allocating funds for a heat pump, which costs about three million marks and would solve these problems, they promised to build a heating plant for 15 million KM, which will not be built in the next two or three seasons.

Additional problem - BAGS does not have a Supervisory Board. After they appointed a new director, their mandate expired the next day. The new director resigned after ten days.

The company's Assembly, which is supposed to appoint members of the Supervisory Board, will hold a session next week, but the KS Government does not have names for the Supervisory Board.

And even if it provides names, the procedure has not been followed for the Assembly to appoint them. The Supervisory Board has three members - one is provided by small shareholders, and two are proposed by the KS Government.

The company is currently managed by the technical director. If all this is taken into account, it is a serious negligence and inaction of the Government and the relevant ministry, and in the end, the citizens suffer exclusively - concludes Šaljić in an interview with NAP.