Salaries of deputies and ministers in Tuzla Canton are enormously increasing, KO DF TK head Begić demands suspension of the decision

(Patria) - The Assembly of Tuzla Canton adopted the Law on Salaries and Allowances in the Authorities of TK this week, which increases the income of elected and appointed officials, i.e. cantonal deputies and members of the Government. The assembly majority consists of deputies from DF and SDA and several independent deputies.

Last year, the basic salary of a professional deputy in the Assembly of TK was slightly over 3,000 KM, with a coefficient of 3.4 and a base of 454 KM, a 10 percent position allowance, and a lump sum of 1,362 KM.

With the adopted law, the deputy's coefficient has been increased to 7.80, the base for this year is 425 KM, which means the total basic salary is now 3,315 KM. The total salary increase for deputies will depend on the Administrative Commission of the Assembly of TK, which has not yet determined the lump sum amount for this year.

Zlatan Begić, as the president of the DF TK Cantonal Board, who participates in the assembly majority in TK, commented on this. He demands that "TK Prime Minister Mr. Halilagić and the President of the Assembly of TK Mr. Vujović urgently, within a period not exceeding seven days, find a legal solution to suspend the salary increase for appointed and elected officials (politicians) resulting from the adopted Law at the session of the Assembly of TK".

"This is also my public protest and disclaimer regarding such decisions - which were made without the stance and knowledge of the Cantonal Board of the Democratic Front of TK - or my person, without any consultations with them, and I am forced into this form of post festum communication - which I consider unacceptable," Begić concluded.

The Cantonal Board of Naša stranka TK also commented and, among other things, stated that professional deputies in the Assembly of TK previously received a salary of 1,543 KM plus a lump sum of 1,362 KM, and the new salary will be 3,541 KM plus a lump sum.

"This means they previously received 2,900 KM, and with the new calculation, they will receive 4,900 KM. They have not deserved it. This is just their demonstration of power. Such authorities do not even consider fighting inflation and for a better standard of living for citizens because whatever happens, they will use the levers of power to exclusively protect themselves," stated Naša stranka.

The President of the Assembly of TK, Žarko Vujović, stated that it was an alignment with the federal law.

The justification for adopting the law states that the Office for Audit of Institutions of the Federation of BiH, in its report of September 29, 2023, determined that the Law on Salaries and Allowances in the Authorities of TK is not fully harmonized with the Law on Salaries and Allowances in the Authorities in FBiH.

"In this regard, the Ministry of Justice and Administration of TK prepared and offered the Government of TK a proposal for the Law on Salaries and Allowances in the Authorities of TK, which actually represents the unification of two currently valid laws regulating the area of salaries and allowances, in such a way that the chapter of the law regulating the salaries and allowances of elected officials, holders of executive functions, advisors, the cantonal prosecutor and his deputies harmonizes with the federal law on salaries, while the chapter regulating the salaries and allowances of civil servants and employees fully adopts the existing law on salaries and allowances of civil servants and employees," it is stated in the explanation accompanying the Draft Law.