PDHR/Brčko Supervisor Scanlan meets Brčko Mayor Esed Kadrić, Deputy Mayor Anto Domić, District Assembly Speaker Siniša Milić, and Deputy Speaker Ivo Filipović
12/10/2021 OHR

Achieving progress on the Brčko Final Award requires work at all levels in BiH

In the spring, the multiethnic community of the District should see construction start on the final tender of the Port’s Modernization, the Brčko Water System, the Sava River infrastructure projects, the “STUDEN & CO” Holding industrial zone, and the reconstruction of the Gunja-Brčko bridge, along with the announcement of the optimal routes for the future highways and, with that, the requisite expansion of demining activities. This is all possible if the authorities of Brčko, the entities, and the State complete their remaining work by the end of the year.

These transformational projects will not only benefit the people of Brčko, but also all those who live in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, be it in the Republika Srpska or the Federation BiH.

In addition, as the Brčko authorities increase the budget allotment for capital projects, the local communities in the District should also see local infrastructure improvements.

But that is not enough. To ensure corruption does not undermine this path to sustainable functionality and prosperity, both the Commission for Prevention of Conflict of Interest and the Anti-Corruption Office must by next year have fully established and staffed offices so they can start to show results. For those who will be affected by their work, it would be best to quickly conform with the law and regulations or step out of government and public service.

Also, to ensure that patronage and nepotism no longer undermine the deliverance of good public service, the new Law on Civil Service and Law on Public Employees currently being drafted to import EU norms and standards on hiring will need to be submitted this spring to the District Assembly.

The current ruling majority claims its mandate will be one of change. For this to be true the spring must look as just described, the Supervisor underscored.

These topics were discussed on Thursday and Friday in the Supervisor’s meetings with the District Government and Assembly leadership, the Government Chief Coordinator, Head of the Port modernization Project Implementation Unit and the Port Director, representatives of the Public Utility Company “Komunalno Brčko,” District Chief Prosecutor, and representatives of the Commission for Assessing Conflict of Interest and the Anti-Corruption Office. The Supervisor also attended a presentation of the proposed routes for the future highway network through the District.