The FBiH government is determined that the prices of pellets and firewood should be acceptable to citizens
At the invitation of Federal Minister of Trade Zlatan Vujanović, a meeting was held today at the headquarters of the Government of the Federation of BiH in Sarajevo with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Federation of BiH and businessmen, led by the president of the Forestry and Wood Industry Group, Vildan Hajić. The meeting was also attended by the director of the Federal Administration for Inspection Affairs Anis Ajdinović, the chief federal market inspector Elmir Ramić and the adviser to the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH for economic affairs Goran Miraščić.
The goal of the meeting was to coordinate joint activities to ensure an orderly supply of pellets and firewood in the upcoming heating season at economically acceptable prices with maximum social sensitivity appropriate to economic reality.
After the inspection, under the responsibility of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Administration for Inspection Affairs found that producers and sellers of pellets and firewood, using the newly created situation of a general increase in the prices of goods and services, raised prices unrealistically high, while not showing social responsibility and social sensitivity in the current moment of global inflation and reduction in the purchasing power of the population. In the previous days, the Federal Inspection inspected the state of stocks and price calculations of producers and dealers of pellets and firewood in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and reported this to the Federal Ministry of Trade.
At today’s meeting of the Federal Ministry of Trade and the Federal Administration for Inspection Affairs with the responsible representatives of the Chamber of Commerce for this area and the business sector, it was requested that, in accordance with their competences, economic relevance and influence, they carry out the necessary coordination with relevant business entities to rationalize business costs in order to reduce retail prices of pellets and firewood. At the meeting, during the discussion, it was pointed out that at this moment the real price for a ton of pellets should be from 400 to 450 KM, and for a cubic meter of chopped firewood from 100 to 120 KM.
If there is no will of the addressed business entities from this area, it will be proposed to the Government of the Federation of BiH that, in accordance with the law and jurisdiction, take and initiate measures to protect the economic and consumer interests of citizens, not excluding the most restrictive legal measures.
With the aim of protecting the domestic market and ensuring sufficient quantities of pellets and firewood at economically acceptable prices, at the end of May this year, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the proposal of the Federal Ministry of Trade, submitted an initiative to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina to temporarily ban the export of certain forest assortments, firewood and wood products. The Council of Ministers accepted this initiative on June 16, 2022. issued a Decision on a temporary ban on exports for a period of ninety days.
After the adoption of this decision, the Federal Ministry of Trade, in cooperation with the Federal Administration for Inspection Affairs, and in order to protect the interests of citizens, natural and legal persons, as well as public institutions in the field of education, health and social protection, which use the mentioned energy sources, initiated activities, among which the inspection was carried out.
The rise in energy prices puts consumers in a very unenviable position, and the goal of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is to protect the domestic market and ensure sufficient quantities of pellets and firewood at economically acceptable prices.
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