Zenica faces hygiene crisis amid ALBA contract dispute

A contract dispute between the City of Zenica and the utility company ALBA Zenica has led to a suspension of communal hygiene services in the city. As of October 15, ALBA has ceased street cleaning, lawn mowing, and the emptying of public waste bins.

ALBA Zenica claims the stoppage is due to the city's failure to sign Annex II of a 2019 contract. The company states that an agreement reached in August to regulate price increases and retroactive billing for services provided between March and July was never finalized. ALBA reports that the inability to issue invoices has severely threatened its liquidity and ability to cover operational costs, staff wages, and supplier obligations.

In response, Zenica Mayor Fuad Kasumović announced during a City Council session that he intends to propose the termination of the contract with ALBA. The Mayor argued that the company failed to fulfill its primary contractual obligations, specifically citing the failure to construct a required sorting facility. While household waste collection remains unaffected, public spaces in Zenica are currently experiencing accumulating trash and unmaintained greenery.