Amendment could not prevent salary increases for officials, only changes to laws and coefficients

By: A. Vrabac

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The day after the Budget for 2022 was passed in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament, which increases salaries for employees in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in line with the increase of the base amount to 535 KM, criticism is pouring in against the representatives and the ruling coalition.

Representatives, ministers, deputies, and delegates, who already have high salaries, will receive an additional 500 KM, while soldiers and state police officers will barely feel an increase of no more than 100 KM.

Although representatives of both ruling and opposition parties are being pointed at for not submitting an amendment to the Budget, it is necessary to clarify that this increase in the base amount, which will apply to all employees, could not have been prevented by any amendment.

This concerns the Law on Salaries and Benefits in the Institutions of BiH, which clearly stipulates that the base amount for calculating salaries is determined by the Council of Ministers of BiH. At its session held on March 30, the Council of Ministers increased the base amount for calculating salaries to 535 KM. However, with coefficients that are additionally calculated for elected, appointed officials, and civil servants, this increase is significantly felt.

At yesterday's session, only a conclusion could have been proposed, instructing the Council of Ministers of BiH to proceed with amendments to the Law on Salaries to prevent the enormous growth of already high official salaries.

SDA President Bakir Izetbegović announced today that SDA will urgently create and submit amendments to legal solutions that will entail a reduction in the highest incomes of state-level officials and an increase in salaries for low-income employees.

HDZ representative Nikola Lovrinović also emphasized yesterday that it is necessary to amend the law.

However, according to Patria's information, such an initiative was recently rejected in the Finance and Budget Committee.

It seems that the authorities talk a lot, but everyone likes to put the surplus in their pocket.

Former SDS representative in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament, Aleksandra Pandurević, also commented today on the "alleged amendments to the budget."

"What should an amendment be filed for, which article of the Budget Law? 1. Salaries have been increased by the Council of Ministers' decision on the amount of the base. 2. Salaries of officials can be reduced by amending the Law on Salaries, by reducing the coefficients," stated Pandurević.

Although it is certain that nothing will change before the General Elections, let it be one of the first tasks of the new government to show social sensitivity and amend the law so that their salaries are no longer shamefully increased by changing the base amount.