Vogošća residents to get heating: Bošnjak finds funds before protests at KS Government begin

(Patria) - Following weeks of appeals from Vogošća residents, who had announced a protest gathering in front of the KS Government building for today, a press conference was held by the cantonal Minister of Communal Economy Bojan Bošnjak and the director of the company BAGS-Energotehnika Enis Džihanić. This company did not have the funds to procure the necessary amount of heating oil, leaving Vogošća residents to freeze in their cold homes for weeks.

“The situation is such that, while seeking a solution, we worked on making a decision that would be purposeful. The situation compared to last year is different, which delayed us. We have found a temporary solution, we have committed, and we have promised that we can secure the funds. We have signed an agreement with the director of this company, and the Government will transfer 900,000 KM to the account by the end of the year to cover these costs. This will not be enough money for the entire heating season. But we will plan for additional funds,” said Minister Bošnjak.

Džihanić stated that he expects these funds to be sufficient until the end of March 2025.

"Some breakdowns have occurred that we cannot influence, because the system is 50 years old, the pipes corroded further during the war, but we are trying to repair them as soon as possible. We started to change the fuel, but we did not succeed this year,” said director Džihanić, adding that switching to gas would reduce costs and be more environmentally friendly.

BAGS-Energotehnika heats 700 apartments, as well as institutions in the municipality of Vogošća. The KS Government is the majority owner of BAGS Energotehnika with 67% of shares, while minority shareholders hold 33%.