A two-day boycott of shops across Bosnia and Herzegovina is set to begin this Friday as citizens protest against soaring prices, with organisers urging people to refrain from making any purchases. Pročitaj više

Following last week’s one-day boycott on 31 January, the campaign has been extended to cover both Friday and Saturday, under the slogan: “Do not buy!”

The Facebook group “Bojkot BiH,” which launched the initiative, has stated that the boycott will continue until their demands are met and prices are lowered. Organisers have also encouraged citizens to limit their spending on other days, purchase only essential goods, and completely avoid shopping on Friday and Saturday.

The effectiveness of the first boycott remains unclear. While images from the day showed notably emptier stores, official data from tax authorities in both the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina suggest that many citizens did not take part. Revenue figures for 31 January indicate that store takings were either on par with or higher than on previous days.

Meanwhile, Federation Trade Minister Amir Hasicevic has announced forthcoming price reductions on 50 essential products.

“By Friday, we will not be freezing the prices of 50 key items, as some have suggested, but rather reducing them. We are implementing price cuts and monitoring profit margins,” Hasicevic said.

The wave of consumer boycotts has spread across the region, originating in Croatia, where yet another general boycott of all goods and services is planned for tomorrow. This marks the third consecutive Friday of store boycotts in Croatia, and from Saturday, a week-long boycott of a specific retail chain is set to begin.