Bandić: Party for BiH proposed amendments to the KS Budget Proposal to solve problems the 'Trojka' forgot

For Patria writes Muamer Bandić, representative in the KS Assembly and member of the GV of the Party for BiH

The Club of Representatives of the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly submitted 14 amendments to the Budget Proposal of Sarajevo Canton. The goal of our amendments is to increase the budget scope for capital investment items in the next year. The focus is on solving real infrastructure problems of citizens in various areas through investments in already prepared projects, which have been on hold for several years.

Our amendments focus on concrete projects in the areas of education, healthcare, ecology, security, assistance to young people, and the construction of traffic and utility infrastructure in Sarajevo Canton.

We propose the urgent renovation and reconstruction of several elementary schools ("Avdo Smailović", "Nafija Sarajlić", "Malta" and "Isak Samokovlija") in Sarajevo Canton, equipping the "Sokolje" elementary school, as well as resolving property-legal relations for the construction of a new school in the Nova Otoka settlement, where space is planned for building an elementary school, but conditions must be created for the project to come to life.

Through amendments, we also propose allocating funds for the procurement of a Lokomat device with pediatric orthoses for the General Hospital in Sarajevo, which is necessary for patient rehabilitation.

We also proposed the implementation of projects for the renovation of roads and utility infrastructure in the industrial zone of Donje Telalovo Polje, and the execution of works on the regulation of the Dobrinjka River. Furthermore, the construction of a water supply network at the following locations: Smaila Šikala Street, Zabrđe settlement (Sokolje reservoir zone) and Amira Muharemovića Street, and the construction of a sewage network in Dobroševićka Street and the belt of the XII transversal, as well as Adema Žunića, Safeta Ahmespahića, Šerifa Loje and Amira Muharemovića streets, which would solve long-term problems for citizens in this part of Sarajevo Canton.

Our proposal is to allocate an additional 11,000,000 KM for the continuation of road construction in the area of Sarajevo Canton, in order to continue the construction of part of the Southern Longitudinal to its connection with the V transversal and complete part of the V transversal. Then, to carry out the rehabilitation of Ive Andrića Street to the Southern Longitudinal and complete the construction of the roundabout on the Southern Longitudinal, and continue the reconstruction of Džemala Bijedića Street together with the reconstruction of the roundabout in Otoka, and carry out the reconstruction of Dobroševićka Street.

One of the amendments also relates to increasing investment in citizen security. Bearing in mind that last year the construction of the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton was planned, we believe that conditions have been met for the realization of the first phase of construction, all with the aim of creating preconditions for covering Sarajevo Canton with video surveillance and raising the level of citizen security.

The Government of KS showed such sensitivity and care for young people with the Budget Proposal that for 2024 it proposed a mere 500,000 KM for housing subsidies for young people.

We really do not understand who can be helped with this amount, or whether they figure that in the current year they have satisfied those they needed to, their party-loyal cadres, so they do not care about other citizens. We witnessed that responsibility for insufficient funds for young people in 2023 was attributed to the minister from the Party for BiH, Almir Bečarević, due to the planned 5,000,000 KM on this budget item, although our position during the drafting of that budget was that these funds were insufficient, but the Trojka did not provide more.

Given that in the KS budget for 2023, the planned funds for subsidies for young people in solving housing issues in the amount of 5,000,000 KM were insufficient, our amendment proposed that funds for these purposes in 2024 be increased by 15,000,000 KM, in order to meet the needs of this population and give young people a chance to build their future in their city and their country.

This Government neither knows nor wants to fairly resolve enforceable court judgments, and by planning a paltry 3,400,000 KM, it continues to deceive its own employees in 2024 as well. The Party for BiH therefore proposed through an amendment that an additional 20,000,000 KM be allocated for this purpose, which would truly begin to resolve this decades-old internal debt, caused by the arrogance and negligence of the authorities, and which continues to accumulate with this approach of the Trojka.

It is high time that individuals realize that problems are not solved by closing your eyes and pretending they do not exist. Problems must be solved, and that is why they sit in well-paid ministerial chairs.

Therefore, our proposed amendments to the KS Budget Proposal for the next year are investments in concrete projects and projects that are ready for implementation, the execution of which would improve the lives of citizens. It is not our intention to engage in populism and confuse the people. We leave that part to professionals whose progress goes sportily one step forward - two steps back, while the city of Sarajevo suffocates in smog and constant traffic jams, and our children are leaving.