BSO: It is a lawful, legitimate, and necessary act, not a ‘desperate move’

Defense Minister Ivan Anušić commented today on the criminal complaint filed by the Split Shipyard for Special Objects regarding the actions and decisions of certain individuals in the Ministry of Defense in the implementation of the contract for the construction of coastal patrol vessels.

He stated that the owner of the shipyard Tomislav Debeljak ‘at this moment is making desperate moves, trying to shift the problem onto the Ministry of Defense, as if in the past decades, during which he has worked here, he has not created a series of problems’.

In response to this statement, BSO issued a statement rejecting the ‘inaccurate and unfounded statements of the Minister of Defense’, which attempt to ‘discredit the lawful, responsible, and justified actions of our company’.

We convey their comment in full below:

“BSO, as a Croatian shipbuilder and member of the DIV Group, has fully met its contractual obligations to the Republic of Croatia over the past decade, despite numerous economic and geopolitical challenges. Thanks to our work, the Republic of Croatia today possesses modern coastal patrol vessels OOB ‘Omiš’ and OOB ‘Umag’, built entirely in a Croatian shipyard by domestic engineers, workers, and subcontractors.

Last year, after the Minister of Defense himself recognized the importance of project continuity and gave consent for the continuation of implementation, the construction of the second patrol vessel was successfully completed within the agreed timeframe, to the pride of BSO, the DIV Group, and the entire Republic of Croatia.

Only Brodosplit, a member of the DIV Group, has paid more than one billion euros in taxes, contributions, and other public levies since joining the Group, significantly contributing to the filling of the state budget and financing the public sector of the Republic of Croatia.

After the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine and the cessation of financing by VTB Frankfurt bank, the state did not respond in accordance with the European Commission’s guidelines on protecting strategic industries affected by the consequences of war. Consequently, Brodosplit incurred a loss of 150 million euros, while the entire DIV Group suffered more than 200 million euros in damages.

Despite this, Brodosplit and BSO continued to work on projects of national interest, including the program for the construction of coastal patrol vessels for the Croatian Navy. However, due to the failure to fulfill contractual obligations by the Ministry of Defense and the lack of agreement on compensation for increased costs, projects worth hundreds of millions of euros are currently on hold. Several ministries and state institutions are temporarily delaying the realization of contracted jobs until the situation with the Ministry of Defense is resolved, thereby multiplying the actual damage to the Republic of Croatia financially, industrially, and strategically.

After months of attempts at a peaceful resolution and exhausting all institutional mechanisms, BSO was forced to file a criminal complaint against unknown responsible persons in the Ministry of Defense. This is a lawful, legitimate, and necessary act to protect the national interest, and not a ‘desperate move’, as the minister tendentiously states.

Our goal is not conflict, but truth, fair relations, and the continuation of building Croatian ships in Croatian shipyards. Instead of political messages and personal discreditation, we expect the Ministry of Defense and relevant state bodies to finally focus on facts, responsibility, and the protection of state interests.

In this context, I invite Defense Minister Ivan Anušić for coffee at Brodosplit to personally visit our facilities and ships, to see the real state of all costs and estimates, and to verify the facts on the ground. Only through open dialogue and direct insight can decisions be made that are in the interest of the Republic of Croatia and its citizens.

The DIV Group and its shipyards will remain committed to the development of the domestic industry, technological independence, and the preservation of jobs, as a strong Croatian shipbuilding industry also means a stronger Croatian state.

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