Arnaut proposed a law on emergency austerity measures in state institutions

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Damir Arnaut (Our Party) today submitted a Bill on emergency austerity measures in BiH Institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed measures represent the most comprehensive set of budget savings ever, and are aimed at abolishing or drastically limiting privileges, in line with the current situation.

This lex specialis proposal prohibits the use of representation funds, and abolishes the right to severance pay, jubilee awards, and professional development compensation for the remainder of 2020. All elected and appointed officials, as well as advisors, will also have their right to bonuses, meal allowances, overtime pay, separate living expenses, daily allowances, transportation, and severance pay abolished.

Arnaut's proposal also prohibits the work of commissions outside of working hours. In combination with his earlier law, which abolished compensation for work in commissions during working hours, this measure alone should lead to additional savings of approximately 1.2 million KM.

The right to escorts is limited to a total of 8 officials (compared to about 30 who currently enjoy this protection), and the use of official vehicles is permitted exclusively to persons employed as drivers, as well as military and police officers. The law also abolishes the discretionary fund from which each member of the BiH Presidency can unilaterally finance various associations with as much as 120,000 KM annually, and financing of political parties from the budget is halved.

The law obliges the Council of Ministers of BiH to secure a loan from the most favorable source in the amount of estimated savings, and all funds are to be used for the procurement of medical equipment to combat the coronavirus, such as respirators, tests, protective equipment, and the like. The procured equipment will be distributed according to its value in the ratio of 65% for the FBiH, 33% for the RS, and 2% for Brčko District.

The law also stipulates that all unauthorized expenses will be charged to the person who approved them, with an additional penalty of up to 5,000 KM.

Along with the Bill, Arnaut also submitted a request for the Collegium of the House of Representatives to interpret the Rules of Procedure in a way that allows for sessions to be held electronically. In the event that the Collegium does not do so, Arnaut proposed an amendment to the Rules of Procedure that will explicitly enable this, so that the work of the Parliament can continue unimpeded.

Our Party plans to propose similar measures at other levels of government in the coming period, in line with the view that urgent systemic solutions are necessary for an effective fight against all effects of this pandemic.