Minister Košarac: Ensure Conditions for Unhindered Transport of Agricultural Products and Raw Materials Needed for The Upcoming Sowing

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Staša Košarac, requested that the Directorate for Plant Health Protection of BiH, as an administrative organization of the competent Ministry, in coordination with the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, enable unhindered transport of goods requiring "D" permits. crossings, which are determined by the Decision of the Council of Ministers of BiH for the transport of goods in road transport in transit through BiH.

Minister Košarac made this initiative taking into account the recommendations and measures of the entity governments and ministries responsible for agriculture, which concern the transport of goods in the new circumstances due to the coronavirus epidemic.

"In coordination with the governments of the Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, we assessed that it is necessary to define border crossings for the transport of goods that require a 'D' permit. These are planting material, fertilizers and other raw materials needed for the upcoming spring sowing. We must speed up the procedures for the transport of these goods in order to provide domestic farmers with timely conditions so that they can sow record areas, because the market supply of food products must not be called into question, "said Minister Košarac.

He noted that the list of vital products that will have facilitated trade between CEFTA countries includes, among other things, fertilizers, seeds and planting material.

"In coordination with the competent institutions at all levels of government, we have proposed to the CEFTA Secretariat a list of vital products to which we have included basic foodstuffs, medicines and medical devices, but also veterinary medicines and preparations, fertilizers, seeds and planting material, as well as animal feed ", added Minister Košarac.

Earlier, Minister Košarac asked the Veterinary Office of BiH for 24-hour working hours of inspectors at defined border crossings, in order to enable unhindered movement of goods.

"Our task is to continuously take measures that will mitigate the negative effects of the coronavirus epidemic on the domestic economy," said Minister Košarac.

We remind you that the Council of Ministers of BiH, at its sixth extraordinary session on March 24, 2020, passed a decision determining the border crossings between BiH and Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro for the transport of goods by road in transit through Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Pursuant to the said decision, the border crossings Bijača, Gradiška, Šamac, Neum 1 and Neum 2 were established for the transport of goods between BiH and Croatia, while the border crossings Rača and Klobuk were established for the transport of goods between BiH and Serbia, ie BiH and Montenegro.