DECISION BY THE FBiH MEMBER OF THE ITA BOARD IRRESPONSIBLE, TENDENTIOUS AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

ROGATICA, December 5 /SRNA/ - Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac stated that the decision of the Federation of BiH representative on the Governing Board of the Indirect Taxation Authority /ITA/ to vote against the Rulebook - which would have enabled the opening of the Gradiška border crossing - is irresponsible, tendentious, shameless and politically motivated.

According to him, the decision is such simply because the border crossing is located in Republika Srpska. Košarac emphasized that Republika Srpska and its institutions have long been seeking to resolve the issue of the Gradiška border crossing, given that a significant number of investors gravitate to that area. "This is responsible policy by Republika Srpska, but a serious blockage exists," Košarac stressed. He said he cannot understand how a representative of FBiH on the ITA Board could vote against a Rulebook that would allow the director to carry out the necessary organizational arrangements, noting that this reflects an incomprehensible political atmosphere in BiH. "No representative from Republika Srpska has ever done anything like this. I understand that there are initiatives to categorize other border crossings for certain types of goods traffic, and that is their legitimate right," Košarac told reporters in Rogatica. Košarac noted that major companies are located around Gradiška, adding that the decision of the FBiH representative negatively affects foreign trade. "The Gradiška border crossing records more than 120,000 such entries annually. Over 90 percent of phytosanitary and veterinary goods traffic passes through Gradiška," Košarac highlighted.