DECISION TO REVOKE DRONE PRODUCTION LICENSE FROM COMPANY BNT

SARAJEVO, JANUARY 5 /SRNA/ - The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac has issued a decision revoking the drone production license of the company BNT - Factory of Machines and Hydraulics from Novi Travnik, after inspection findings established that this legal entity violated a number of provisions of the Law on the Production of Arms and Military Equipment.

Misdemeanor proceedings will be initiated against the company BNT and the responsible person within this legal entity before the competent judicial institutions, with a proposal that they be punished with the maximum fines due to the identified illegalities and irregularities in their operations, the Ministry announced. Acting on Košarac's order, the Inspectorate carried out a regular inspection, followed by an extraordinary inspection in the previous period, during which numerous illegalities and irregularities were identified in the activities of the company BNT related to drone production. Inspection controls determined that the actual quantities, as well as the technical and operational characteristics of the produced drones, did not correspond to the data stated in the company's application for approval to produce a prototype of the said equipment. Differences were observed indicating that the company BNT had made significant changes to the technical and operational characteristics of the drones without previously informing the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, the statement said. Inspection findings also show that the company BNT continued drone production without a legal basis even after the validity period of the approval had expired. Irregularities were also identified regarding subcontracting agreements concluded by the company BNT, which were neither presented to the inspection authorities nor submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations within the legally prescribed deadline. Given that actions contrary to the applicable legal regulations were established, Košarac, in accordance with the Law on the Production of Arms and Military Equipment, issued a decision revoking the drone production license of the company BNT, against which misdemeanor proceedings will also be initiated.