SOLVE PROBLEM OF BORDER BLOCKADE, SURVIVAL OF DOMESTIC COMPANIES AT RISK

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 20 /SRNA/ - It is high time for the Council of Ministers to seriously engage in resolving the problems faced by transport operators and, in agreement with Croatia, to resolve, no later than next week, the obstruction of the movement of goods at the border between BiH and the EU, in both directions, as stated in a joint press release by employers from Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH.

They warned the relevant institutions and the public that border crossings blockades could jeopardize the survival of domestic companies and the overall economy. The Union of Employers' Associations of Republika Srpska and the Employers' Association of the Federation of BiH emphasized that institutions are obliged to ensure the free movement of people and goods, and that if this is not upheld, conditions are created for employers to file lawsuits against the state, as someone must bear financial responsibility for damages caused by the inability to carry out business activities. They are calling for an urgent joint meeting between the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers, the prime ministers of the entity governments, and representatives of employers and transport operators. They expect that this meeting will offer a solution to the transport operators' problems or result in a decision to introduce emergency protective measures for employers, and ultimately even a state of emergency, so that employers would not have to pay penalties for undelivered goods and so that companies affected by this situation could apply for a deferral of loan repayments. Otherwise, they believe that blockades of the relevant institutions would be entirely justified to enforce the fulfillment of obligations, since the responsibility does not lie at the borders, but within the institutions. They pointed out that it is certain that the announced blockades by transport operators will be carried out. Although representatives of domestic institutions have intensified their activities in recent days, no concrete solution has been offered to the problem of the stay of professional drivers from BiH in the EU. “The restrictions faced by professional drivers are already seriously disrupting the continuity of business processes, making it difficult to fulfill contractual obligations and slowing down the flow of goods. Such circumstances directly threaten the stability of companies, their reliability on foreign markets, as well as the functioning of the broader supply chain,” the employers stated. The employers emphasized that the competent institutions of the Council of Ministers have done nothing over all these years to resolve the problems faced by transport operators. If the competent institutions fail to reach a solution and an agreement with the transport operators, the joint press release points to the possibility that employers, whose operations would be halted by border blockades, could also take to the streets together with their workers. "If some are allowed to block the borders due to their specific problems, then the same must be permitted to others whose work and business would be threatened by the blockade of border crossings," the employers stated. These associations emphasized that new blockades of border crossings could trigger a series of unforeseen circumstances that may jeopardize not only the functioning of the economy but the system as a whole. The Union of Employers' Associations of Republika Srpska and the Employers' Association of the Federation of BiH stressed the necessity for urgent and coordinated action by all institutions to resolve these issues and expressed their readiness to contribute to solutions that will ensure stability and predictability in business operations.