Amidžić: We will propose a smaller budget for 2024, some will not like it

(Patria) - Minister of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina Srđan Amidžić, speaking about the budget of BiH institutions for 2024, stated today that the proposal of this ministry to the Council of Ministers of BiH will entail a reduction compared to what was in 2023.

"When you talk to anyone from outside, external experts, and primarily I mean the IMF, they point out, when it comes to BiH institutions, that costs in terms of public spending are unjustifiably increasing year after year. Together with colleagues, that is, with my team within the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH, we conducted a certain analysis and saw that these recommendations, specifically regarding the IMF and BiH institutions, are on point. Namely, we had a trend of cost growth that I can say was unjustified, and we began discussions with budget users in the hope that they would understand this," Amidžić stated in response to the media.

These discussions, as he added, lasted for a certain period, after which they undertook the obligation to prepare a budget proposal that ensures the smooth functioning of all institutions at the BiH level, but on the other hand "entails respecting the factual situation that real life takes place in the entities, cantons, and municipalities."

"We asked budget users to indicate which items could be rationalized. We did not receive those answers. Now it is our obligation within the Ministry to propose a budget that precisely meets these criteria. That budget will probably not be liked by many of them."

Specifically regarding the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH, Amidžić said that the proposed budget for 2023 was 13.77 million KM, and added that for the next year they will propose a budget smaller by 1.5 million KM.

"If we within the Ministry of Finance and Treasury could reduce costs by almost ten percent, I think it is not unreasonable to ask other budget users to make that correction of three percent so that we can continue to function normally," said Amidžić.