What the government from Široki Brijeg is doing: Auditors found they hid 4 million KM in losses!

The West Herzegovina Canton received a negative assessment from federal auditors for 2013 due to scandalous violations of the law and negligent and non-transparent spending of money, reports the bh. news agency Patria (NAP).

The authorities of this canton, headed by Zdenko Ćosić from HDZ BiH, violated a number of regulations and plunged this canton into a deficit of over 44 million marks.

- The financial result for 2013, i.e., the deficit announced in the amount of 6,020,594 KM, is not correct, because the audit determined that it is higher by 4,195,613 KM and amounts to 10,216,207 KM. Due to this, the Audit Office of Public Institutions in FBiH stated that the Report on the Audit of Financial Statements of the Budget of the West Herzegovina Canton for 2013 incorrectly stated the accumulated deficit determined by the audit in the amount of 44,866,541 KM, which exceeds (the value of assets) sources of funds by 18,222,347 KM – stated the Federal Auditors.

At the same time, this Canton did not pay contributions when disbursing salaries to budget users!

- When disbursing net salaries, the corresponding contributions were not paid, which amounted to 22,744,580 KM as of the balance sheet date, of which 13,786,481 KM was in 2013, which is contrary to the Law on Contributions – concluded the report, as reported by Patria.

The illegal operations of the Government from Široki Brijeg, as determined by the auditors, extend to other areas, and the result is a large financial hole and millions of marks whose trail is not clearly established.

- The disposal of public money was not in accordance with regulations due to: non-implementation of controls on the use of official vehicles, representation, and expenses for commissions in accordance with authorizations. Also, the method of distributing current transfers was carried out without clear criteria, and current reserves and capital transfers were done without criteria – it was concluded.

Ćosić's government also violated the Law on Public Procurement, and the auditors highlighted as many as nine contentious points that form the basis for a negative audit opinion.

- Procedures for selecting the most favorable bidder for the procurement of goods and services for the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the amount of 738,166 KM were not carried out, nor were the provisions of the Law on Public Procurement of BiH respected in the conducted procedures: for the Ministry of Physical Planning for the procurement of replacement of existing openings and facade construction on the building in the amount of 209,403 KM, and for the Ministry of Internal Affairs for computer equipment in the amount of 231,443 KM – it was stated in the report, as reported by NAP.