SARAJEVO: HEAD OF SARAJEVO CENTAR MUNICIPALITY DŽEVAD BECIREVIC VISITS ONASA AGENCY
SARAJEVO, September 22 (ONASA) – Elvira Begovic, General Director of the Independent News Agency ONASA hosted today at the Agency’s seat in Sarajevo, Head of Centar Municipality Sarajevo Dževad Becirevic, whom she informed about the work of the Agency. Head Becirevic and his Assistant for Informatics and Information Zlatko Voljevica visited all business premises and spoke with employees of the Agency.
Becirevic said that the long-standing cooperation between Center Municipality and ONASA Agency is extremely successful.
He emphasised to be more than satisfied with the work of this Agency, and surprised by a large number of employees who work every day on collecting, processing and distributing information.
Speaking of the position of independent journalism in BiH, Becirevic said that independent media have a major impact on the economic and political processes, but it is difficult to maintain the media, which is not subject to political influences.
Mayor’s Assistant Zlatko Voljevica informed ONASA Agency General Director that Centar Municipality launched the electronic management system, which enables the citizens to fill all necessary forms online, and to conduct almost all business without waiting at the counters.
“We have services that are open to the public and we are only lacking electronic signature, so that the citizens would have no need to come to the municipality”, Voljevica said, noting that this system was assessed as one of the best on the territory of former Yugoslavia.
According to him, Center Municipality has a telephone line that is in operation 24 hours a day, and by which citizens can express their suggestions, compliments or concerns.
General Director Begovic informed her guests that the independent news agency ONASA was founded 15 years ago, in 1994 in Sarajevo, and today it is one of the leading independent news agencies in BiH and the region.
She stressed that the mission of the Agency is a continued contribution to the development of true, independent and professional information in advanced, European-oriented, multicultural and multiethnic BiH, with aim of spreading its network outside BiH too.
She added that it is not easy to finance the work of an independent media, which is not subject to the influence of political parties and interest groups, noting that ONASA Agency operates on the principles of market economy, which provides it special value.
General Director Begovic informed the guests that ONASA Agency has its correspondents in Banja Luka and Mostar, but also that news from this Agency in the languages of the people in BiH, are used by the majority of BiH media, institutions, public institutions, successful companies, banks, political parties and NGOs, while the news from English service are used by representatives of international organizations, embassies, foreign branch offices and companies, marketing and news agencies.
Since December 22, 2006, ONASA Agency is a full-fledged member of the Association of Private News Agencies (APNA) of the South East Europe with seat in Skopje. (the end)