Federal Ministry of Finance tasked with finding funds for NUB BiH

(Patria) - The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina today accepted the Information from the Federal Ministry of Education and Science regarding the work stoppage of employees at the Public Institution National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina and difficulties in the library's regular operations.

The Federal Ministry of Finance is tasked with finding a way to allocate intervention funds for the payment of salaries to NUB BiH employees.

At the same time, by conclusion, the Government of the FBiH requests seven cultural institutions of significance for BiH, namely the National Museum of BiH, the Art Gallery of BiH, the National and University Library of BiH, the Museum of Literature and Theatre Arts of BiH, the Historical Museum of BiH, the BiH Cinematheque, and the Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired of BiH, to submit a Financial Report for 2023 and the first six months of 2024 to the Government, via the General Secretariat of the FBiH Government, within 15 days of the adoption of this conclusion. This report should include all revenues and expenditures, particularly a breakdown of revenues generated from budgets at all levels of government, revenues generated from their own activities, and revenues generated from domestic and foreign donations.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Science, the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports, and the Federal Ministry of Justice are tasked with proposing to the Government of the FBiH a method for exercising management rights, primarily for NUB BiH due to the retirement of the current director, but also for the other six cultural institutions. The General Secretariat of the FBiH Government is tasked with forwarding the information accepted today, along with this conclusion, to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH. This conclusion enters into force on the day of its adoption. Among other things, the Federal Ministry of Education and Science clarifies in its Information that this solution is proposed so as not to jeopardize the protection of a national monument of exceptional importance for BiH due to unpaid salaries to workers.

To justify the initiative to secure funds for the normal functioning of NUB, the Federal Ministry of Education and Science explains that, according to the Decision on Declaring the Movable Property - Special Collections of NUB BiH in Sarajevo a National Monument of BiH, the Federation of BiH is obliged to ensure legal, scientific, technical, administrative, and financial measures for the protection, conservation, restoration, and presentation of the national monument.

They also clarify that the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments has imposed an obligation and authorization on the Federation of BiH, without limiting the manner in which it will do so, to ensure legal, scientific, technical, administrative, and financial measures for the protection, conservation, restoration, and presentation of the national monument.

The Information emphasizes that, from the perspective of the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, and considering the university and scientific function of NUB, the Ministry has a justified legal interest in NUB BiH functioning flawlessly in the interest of the academic community and students, as well as citizens, which is why we have actively engaged in resolving the accumulated problems in their financing and the issue of their legal status.

The Information states that the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton adopted the Law on Temporary Co-financing of Cultural and Educational Institutions Founded by BiH, which established the public interest of KS for their temporary co-financing, with funds intended for salaries, meal allowances, holiday pay, and other benefits, as well as utilities, and that through this law, KS committed to the sustainability of seven cultural institutions.

It was also stated that, considering the fact that the authorities of Sarajevo Canton have taken over the co-financing of salaries through a special law, the Federal Ministry of Education and Science has directed its public call towards projects for all seven institutions founded by BiH, and in this way, through significant financial resources amounting to 900,000 KM, it has enabled cultural and scientific institutions to improve their work by applying for projects through the public call.