Students freezing due to Rector Avdispahić and deans: Unis-Energetika ready to heat the Campus

Students at faculties located in the University of Sarajevo Campus are freezing during lectures, all due to the arbitrariness of UNSA Rector Muharem Avdispahić and the deans of these faculties, even though all conditions exist and Unis-Energetika is ready to supply thermal energy, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

However, the faculties have opted for electric heating and claim it is cheaper for them than paying for heating, while students freeze in semi-heated rooms. Outraged students have expressed their dissatisfaction with this situation on social media, and it is possible they will organize protests.

As explained by Adil Pašić, director of Unis-Energetika, the company's obligation is to be ready by November 15, and if nothing happens by then, they will drain the system and take measures against self-freezing.

Unis-Energetika carried out an overhaul, certification, and obtained the necessary permits back in July, procured fuel, and notified all faculties and the Rectorate that they are ready to deliver thermal energy.

- Several meetings were held with the Minister of Education and the Rector without the presence of the faculties because the Rector presented himself as a representative of all faculties, and at the last meeting about 15 days ago, it was agreed to send contracts to all faculties. To this day, we have not signed a single contract nor received a request for the delivery of thermal energy – says Pašić.

The debt of consumers in April 2015 towards Unis-Energetika amounted to 248,000 KM, of which the largest debtor was the National and University Library of BiH, and among the debtors are also some services of the Rectorate, the Faculty of Transport and Communications, and the longest evading its obligations was the Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies, which paid its last installment at the beginning of October 2015.

Unis-Energetika entered the Campus in February 1996 at the request of the Sarajevo Canton Government, with the requirement to create conditions for heating the state hospital and some faculties that were located within the Campus. They invested funds until 1999, when they informed the University and users that the boiler room needed investment and reconstruction and that financial resources were required. At that time, Unis-Energetika was tasked with securing the funds, and a 10-year contract for the use of the heating plant was signed with the following conditions:

- Give 10% of the fuel value to the University of Sarajevo as rent,
- Provide projects and funds for the procurement of the most necessary equipment for the operation of the boiler room

According to the 2001 contract, Unis-Energetika and UNSA defined the conditions, and it was agreed that the funds invested by Unis-Energetika would be recorded, and after the expiration of the 10-year contract, the difference, i.e., the scope of investment, would be determined, and the parties would agree on settling the obligations regarding the investments.

In 2009, the Rectorate, in response to a request from Unis-Energetika, sought consent from the Sarajevo Canton Government on what to do next with the boiler room.

- Consent and instructions came only in 2010, when the then Minister Abid Jusić told them to sit down in accordance with the contract provisions and determine mutual claims, and if there were no funds, to extend the period of use without rent until those funds were repaid – explains Pašić.

Rector Faruk Čaklovica, in response to Minister Jusić's written reply, nevertheless sent a notice to Unis-Energetika to leave the Campus, with the explanation that their investments were close to zero and that if they were dissatisfied, they could sue them.

- We were dissatisfied with such a turn of events because his obligation was to settle this with us. We did not leave the Campus; we sued them and regularly provided thermal energy according to the contract for all users in the Campus. They forced us to leave, sent letters to the state hospital and Unitic informing them that, in their opinion, our contract had expired and that they could no longer be supplied with thermal energy and had to fend for themselves – says Pašić.

The court process has been ongoing for five years, and court experts have determined that Unis-Energetika's claims based on investments amount to 1,417,000 KM, while its obligations to UNSA are 217,000 KM.

With the arrival of UNSA Rector Muharem Avdispahić, the process continues, and the court rejects the interim measures requested by UNSA.

- Various inspections came and determined that we were operating completely correctly. Last year, we delivered thermal energy to some consumers at the request of Minister Zlatko Petrović without a contract. In this way, both we and Sarajevogas were ordered to deliver energy, and the Ministry of Public Utilities would resolve mutual claims – says Pašić.

In the meantime, a new Sarajevo Canton Government was formed, and these claims were not resolved. Sarajevogas sued Unis-Energetika for consumed gas, even though they too were ordered to do so and did not sue the Government.

Pašić said that Unis-Energetika will not leave the Campus and its property until they are paid.

He explained that the Rectorate claims that the contract signed in 2001 is a forgery, as is the rector's signature, and that they do not understand where the seal came from and that it is a harmful contract for UNSA.

As the Patria agency learns, Rector Avdispahić is in a certain way blackmailing and putting pressure on the deans of the faculties located in the Campus (Faculty of Transport and Communications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, and FKN) in such a way that if they sign contracts with Unis-Energetika, they will not be given money for new equipment, renovation of faculty premises...