Board of the Employers' Association of FBiH: A large number of companies will sue Elektroprivreda BiH

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Board of Directors of the Employers' Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at today's session expressed outrage over the legal violence being carried out by Elektroprivreda BiH, whose management does not respect the provisions of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Electricity in the FBiH, the Employers' Association of FBiH announced.

"Namely, companies in the Federation of BiH whose supplier is Elektroprivreda BiH have been receiving contracts for electricity supply in the last two days with significantly altered content compared to last year. Companies are required to announce by the 20th of the month how much electricity they will consume in the following month. For any overconsumption or underconsumption of electricity compared to the announced amount, companies will pay penalties at market prices. Also, in the event of any breakdown or stoppage of EPBiH's operations, this public company will procure electricity at stock exchange prices, and all procurement and transmission costs would be borne by the companies," the statement said.

Because of this, they add, the price of electricity for companies would not be 20, but 50 percent higher.

"This is not only legal violence but also a blatant violation of the Law and derogation of decisions by representatives and delegates of both houses of the Parliament of FBiH. Another proof of the arbitrary behavior of Elektroprivreda BiH is their refusal to continue supplying electricity to the company ArcelorMittal d.o.o. Zenica. At the same time, Elektroprivreda HZ HB, which is also owned by FBiH, like Elektroprivreda BiH, has issued invoices for electricity for January to its consumers at the same prices and under the same conditions that were in effect last year. And the new contracts valid from February 1 this year are fully in line with the Law on Amendments to the Law on Electricity in FBiH. Due to all of the above, the Board of the Employers' Association of FBiH demands the urgent dismissal of the director of Elektroprivreda BiH, Admir Andelija, and a decision was made to exclude EPBiH from the Employers' Association of FBiH," the statement said.
The vast majority of members of the Employers' Association of FBiH who received such contracts from Elektroprivreda BiH have decided to seek legal protection through individual or collective lawsuits against EPBiH.
The Board of the Employers' Association of FBiH demands the convening of an urgent, extraordinary session of the Government of FBiH within three days on the topic of the actions of Elektroprivreda BiH regarding electricity prices for the economy, to which representatives of the Employers' Association of FBiH will also be invited. If the Government of FBiH rejects the proposal of the Employers' Association of FBiH, we will consider it an accomplice in the legal violence carried out by Elektroprivreda BiH.
The Employers' Association of FBiH will prepare and submit a complaint against EPBiH to the Competition Council of BiH for abuse of dominant market position.
The Board of the Employers' Association of FBiH will request an authentic interpretation from the Parliament of FBiH for Article 16 a) of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Electricity in FBiH and will address the chairs of both houses of the Parliament of BiH.
Also, competent institutions will be urgently requested to make necessary amendments to regulations governing the closure of certain thermal power plant units, in order to enable their temporary reactivation if the need arises.
If all of the listed activities do not yield concrete results, the Employers' Association of FBiH will consider the issue of suspending production in companies in FBiH.
The members and the Board of the Employers' Association of FBiH ask citizens for understanding, because due to the behavior of EPBiH and the Government of FBiH, employers will be forced to significantly increase product prices, reduce employee salaries, and due to the closure of certain facilities, some workers will lose their jobs.