Bevanda announced salary increases for BiH authorities and institutions!

(Patria) - Minister of Finance and Treasury in the Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda announced the possibility of increasing the base salary in state authorities by 4.5 percent, adding that the pressure from trade unions to make this happen after seven years is growing.

Bevanda stated that with the adoption of the budget for 2019, the possibility of increasing the hot meal allowance was realized, and announced that it will start being paid with the January salaries.

According to him, there is an initiative to return the base salary to the level it was in 2012, when it was reduced by 4.5 percent.

"The pressure from trade unions is growing, and in the initial agreement that the Council of Ministers had with them, when salaries and allowances were reduced, it was stated that there would be no corrections for two years. Seven years have passed, and letters, memos, and requests for meetings on this topic are becoming more frequent. Perhaps it is justified, because one must also consider those whose coefficients are low," Bevanda told "Glas Srpske".

He added that he is sure that no one can say that soldiers, police officers, inspectors, and those whose work is often exposed to various risks are well-paid.

"This is a decision made by the Council of Ministers based on the Law on Salaries and Allowances in BiH Institutions, so we will soon see if this initiative will be accepted," said Bevanda, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Bevanda also believes that the increase in the fiscal framework by 30 million KM "is not a significant increase," citing as an example the fact that BiH institutions have a budget comparable to that of Sarajevo Canton or one-third or one-fourth of what is spent in the entities.

He stated that, as the former Minister of Finance of the FBiH, he knows well that key areas are within the jurisdiction of the entities, such as education, health, social benefits, and emphasized that it is completely understandable that such large amounts are not needed in the budget at the BiH level.