Based on the Agreement on Cooperation signed between the Competition Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the American Chamber of Commerce in BiH (AmCham BiH), a business meeting was held, dedicated to the dialogue between public institutions and the private sector on the implementation of the Law on Competition and the Public Procurement Law of BiH.

The event brought together representatives of the Competition Council of BiH, the Public Procurement Agency of BiH and members of AmCham BiH, as well as representatives of the business community.

The main topics of the meeting were related to the implementation of the Law, with a special emphasis on strengthening market competition, increasing transparency and promoting ethical business.

Through dynamic discussions, representatives of the aforementioned institutions and the business community from different economic sectors identified:

• Challenges in the implementation of the law.
• The most common forms of distortion of market competition and corrupt practices in public procurement processes.
• The need to establish stronger partnership mechanisms – for the purpose of efficient preventionand sanctioning of distortion of market competition and corruption.

 It was concluded that sustainable competition depends on the integrity of market participants and their willingness to operate honestly and transparently. It was emphasized that awareness of competition rules and potential sanctions must be present at all levels of business – from management positions to operational structures – because education and understanding of legal restrictions are key to preventing abuse. While large companies are mostly aware of regulatory requirements, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises often lack sufficient knowledge about the types of prohibited agreements and their consequences. The panelists agreed that for the effective implementation of the Law on Competition, stronger inter-institutional cooperation and better coordination between public administration bodies are necessary. They also pointed out the need to harmonize the Law on Competition and the Public Procurement Law, including the possibility of introducing mandatory mechanisms for the exclusion of undertakings that violate the relevant laws. The panelists also called for participation in public consultations for amendments to these laws and that, in this context, consideration should be given to prescribing the obligation of public authorities to report suspicions of unfair competition when they notice them. Continuous education, transparency and deterrent sanctions are key pillars for preserving fair market competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ninela Salihbašić, President of the Competition Council of BiH, concluded:

“The Competition Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina plays a key role in preserving market competition and equal business conditions.

Through professional dialogue with the business community, we want to improve the understanding of competition rules and point out their importance for market development.

Our goal is to ensure transparent and consistent application of the Law on Competition, while preserving the independence and integrity of the Council’s regulatory role.

It is precisely through the exchange of information and open access that we strengthen trust in institutions and build an environment in which fair competition becomes the standard.”

Nedim Hamzić, Director of AmCham BiH, added: “As an organization that connects the private sector and institutions, our role is to strengthen trust between regulatory bodies and companies. Only through open communication can we build a transparent business environment in which fair competition becomes the standard.”

 Mila Crnogorac Bajić, President of the AmCham BiH Ethics and Compliance Committee, emphasized that collusion between market participants is not only unfair to competition, but also to citizens – consumers who ultimately pay for it. Such behavior must be clearly sanctioned. That is why it is important that institutions and the business community work together to prevent such practices and strengthen fair market conditions.

The panel brought together relevant participants; Adisa Begić and Ivo Jerkić, members of the Competition Council of BiH, Tarik Rahić, Director of the Public Procurement Agency of BiH, and Ezmana Turković, attorney at law at Marić & Co, who focused on critical points in building a healthy business environment. Topics included mechanisms for protecting market competition, efficient models for reporting irregularities and legal frameworks for the administrative exclusion of unscrupulous bidders from public procurement, as well as compliance of business operations with relevant domestic and international regulations.

This meeting is part of the organizers’ activities aimed at improving the enforcement of the law, and promoting the principles of business integrity, ethics and compliance of the domestic business sector, thus laying the foundation for creating a truly fair and competitive business environment.