The opening of the new Gradiška border crossing has been delayed for three months already due to disagreements in the Management Board of the Indirect Taxation Administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ITA BiH) and lawsuits. Because of this, both citizens and the economy suffer, and the damage since the end of last year is measured in millions.
Pompous announcements at the beginning resulted in blockades at the end, because of which the citizens and the economy suffer the most. The consequences of delaying the opening of the new Gradiška border crossing across the Sava River between BiH and Croatia are particularly reflected in transport, trade and logistics. In addition to long waits at the border and increased transport costs, losses, according to businessmen’s estimates, are measured in the amount of almost four million KM, and only since December last year.
“It is a big absurdity. We expected it to happen. Huge funds were invested in the construction of the GP and the bridge itself, and we expect that it will be resolved soon, that we can finally have another GP through which we can transport our goods and get into a position to place them on the European market in an easier way”, said Saša Aćić, president of the Union of Employers of the Republika Srpska.
The reason why this is not yet the case is the decision of Zijad Krnjić, an expert in the Management Board of the BiH Indirect Taxation Administration, that he does not want to vote for changes to the Rulebook on the systematization of workplaces until a decision is made on the distribution of toll revenue for highways and roads, and a decision on determining temporary coefficients for the distribution of funds for the period October – December 2025. The ITA of BiH previously appealed to all relevant factors in BiH to urgently contribute to solving this problem.
“Once again, we remind you that the amendment to the Rulebook establishing a new organizational unit, the Customs Department at the Gradiška Novi Most border crossing, is a prerequisite for activities to be undertaken to fulfill other conditions necessary for the functioning of the customs service at this location,” stated the ITA of BiH.
Such as determining the code of the border crossing in order to know where the goods were imported or exported, then IT support at the new location and access to the customs application, and to create the seal of the new organizational unit, and other conditions that must be provided for the implementation of customs procedures.
The ITA of BiH calls on the Government of the Federation of BiH to urgently get involved in solving this problem, since it appointed an expert to the Management Board of this institution, Zijad Krnjić. According to official data, more than four million passengers and more than a million vehicles cross the Gradiška highway annually, among which a significant number of citizens and businessmen from FBiH.
We would like to remind you that the RS Chamber of Commerce has hired a legal team that is considering the possibility of filing a criminal complaint against Krnjić and a request for compensation for damages to businessmen. The first man of Banjaluka, Draško Stanivuković, sent an appeal to the judicial authorities and a harsh message to the authorities.
“Zijade, Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs are waiting here. First of all, our people are waiting, who have been disappointed in this country for a long time and who, when they come at least for a short time, are reminded again of all the reasons for which, unfortunately, they had to leave,” Draško Stanivuković, the mayor of Banjaluka, said in a video on Facebook, holding a photo of Krnjić.
While Krnjić insists on his demands, BiH Finance Minister Srđan Amidžić and President of the Management Board of ITA BiH does not want to include this item on the agenda at all. All this, while there is another lawsuit, since the Federation of BiH filed last summer against Republika Srpska and the Board of ITA of BiH. Traditionally, citizens and the economy are again political hostages.
“Unfortunately, we are in a political stalemate and I don’t see any solution in sight, such that some of the parties will give up their demands. What is important to emphasize is that these, parallel, political disputes will certainly be resolved by the courts, so it would be good for the political actors to think again and sit down at the negotiating table and come up with a compromise solution,” said federal representative Admir Čavalić.
“It is clear that at this moment neither the citizens, nor the economy, that is, the economy, are in the foreground. We appeal to all political subjects in BiH to understand that they are here for the citizens and the economy, that is, the economy, and not for their own sake,” said Saša Aćić, president of the RS Employers’ Union.
In the meantime, the economic stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina is also under attack due to the announced protests of transporters, which is why the business community is appealing that “lawlessness at the borders must be stopped immediately”. They point out that closed borders, in addition to interrupting production and exports, would threaten thousands of jobs. At least 20,000 workers are already suffering the consequences in the processing industry, it says N1 BiH.
