Following international market prices of oil and oil derivates, Bosnian gas company BH Gas plans to decrease prices if this energy source for the next year with regard to purchase prices, the CEO of this company, Jasmin Salkic told N1 on Thursday.

“Primarily, the price should go down to 500 Bosnian marks (around €250) per 1,000 cubic metres of gas, but through our optimal business results, we found a way to get the price down to 480 marks (approx. €240), which is about 8,5 percent decrease. Looking back at the time when we raised the prices by 30 percent, the new price is even lower than the earlier one,” Salkic said.

According to him, natural gas today is only more expensive than firewood unless one takes into account the dirty coal, which is used all the time.

“It is very important for us that we restore confidence in the use of natural gas as an environmentally friendly fuel. We've done some math for the future of new projects and we have no doubt that around 200 million cubic meters of gas can be consumed now,” said the CEO of BH Gas, adding that this is very important for the air quality in the country.

Speaking of the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline and its security, he noted it must be built in the next 3 to four years, otherwise, the gas supply from the existing pipeline coming in from the east will be threatened, considering its age, obsolescence and the lack of investment from the Republic of Serbia's side of the border.

(€1 = 1.95 Bosnian marks)