Urgent Delivery of Plan to Overcome Procurement Issues for BiH Armed Forces Demanded

The Joint Committee on Defence and Security of BiH, at its 21st session, supported, with three amendments, the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH), proposed by the Council of Ministers of BiH, reports the Patria News Agency.

The Report on the Work of the Ministry of Defence of BiH for 2015 and the Information on the Implementation of Public Procurement in the Ministry of Defence of BiH and AFBiH, compiled by the Ministry of Defence of BiH, were acknowledged. Within the scope of reviewing these materials, the Joint Committee adopted conclusions expressing extreme concern over the situation in the Ministry of Defence of BiH and AFBiH, emphasizing the need to improve public procurement processes that directly affect the functioning and operability of AFBiH.

Furthermore, the Committee highlighted the need to improve and enhance the relationship between competent services and the management of the Ministry of Defence of BiH in the realization of the supply processes for food, fuel, necessary spare parts, training equipment, demining, and military uniforms.

The Joint Committee also adopted a conclusion demanding the urgent delivery of an Operational Plan from the Ministry of Defence of BiH to overcome the situation regarding procurement for the needs of AFBiH and the defence sector as a whole, with clear measures, task holders, and activities.

If the Ministry of Defence of BiH, even after this analysis and the Committee's attempts to assist, fails to identify the main obstacles and resolve the problems, the Joint Committee assessed that responsible persons from this Ministry and AFBiH must be sanctioned, in relation to which the Committee would propose to the Houses of the BiH Parliament the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee to resolve these issues.

Additionally, the Joint Committee adopted a conclusion demanding quarterly information from the Ministry of Defence of BiH on the status and problems in the procurement process, on the responsible persons for such a situation, as well as on the measures being taken in the process of resolving procurement issues as a whole. The Committee will also request a quarterly audit of the public procurement process status in the Ministry of Defence of BiH and AFBiH from the Office for Audit of Institutions of BiH, with a request to inform the Joint Committee on Defence and Security of BiH about its results.

The Joint Committee, without prejudging the degree of execution of public procurement in 2016, warned the management and responsible executors in the defence sector that any continuation of such practices could have far-reaching consequences for the functioning of the defence system, which could further cause other negative phenomena that directly affect the combat readiness and operational functioning of AFBiH.