Forto Presents Exposé: Economy, Healthcare, Education are Priorities

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – Candidate for Sarajevo Canton Prime Minister Edin Forto (Our Party) addressed the deputies in the KS Assembly. 

He stated that citizens have shown that political parties should unite around a program, not a mathematical coalition based on the distribution of portfolios. 

“We have agreed on a memorandum of priorities for the parliamentary majority, and this memorandum is an integral part of the exposé that has been submitted to you. This year has been so difficult and specific, all portfolios in the upcoming Government have been strained by the pandemic. I will not complain today about what could have been done better, but the fight against the pandemic and the remediation of economic and health consequences will be the focus of this government,” said Forto. 

He added that many jobs were lost after the ban on business operations.

“Budgets will be significantly less filled. I spoke of some 150 million less in the budget, but there are estimates that it will be even higher, between 200 and 250 million KM. How to help companies not only to survive but also to grow. Learning from the experience of the economic crisis a decade ago, BiH enters a crisis more slowly, but also exits it much more slowly. This country has always focused on jobs in the public sector, and less on the private sector. This government will focus on the private sector in order to save jobs because the budget is filled by these activities. This government will not be afraid to borrow and invest money in economic recovery,” said Forto. 

He added that the education system will have to establish a system for effective teaching from preschool to higher education, given that 2021 will also be marked by the pandemic. 

He listed the most significant projects by portfolio, announcing the continuation of the fight against corruption. He announced the adoption of the Law against Nepotism, which will prohibit the hiring of close relatives of elected and appointed officials in cantonal companies and institutions.

“This will be a precedent in BiH and something that is talked about regionally.”

Strategic procurement will be handled by experts in the fields of healthcare and public utilities. He emphasized the need for all companies owned by the Sarajevo Canton to operate properly, and public-private partnerships are not excluded. 

The debt for concessions in KS is over 15 million KM.

“The future minister will investigate and analyze and see what the problem is, whether it is the pandemic or something else.”

See the full exposé here 

He also spoke about better public transport, which is also a desire of the citizens. 

“Public transport, after citizens expressed that it is a big problem for them, we have budgeted significant funds. Gras has become a burden for all governments. It will not be a burden for us, but something we will fight for and improve. We will not shy away from borrowing so that our citizens can travel in vehicles they deserve,” said Forto. 

Speaking about the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Forto added that the security system will respond adequately to protect the safety of citizens. 

“A special focus will be on professional staffing, hiring police officers, and professional development. We want to improve the police both humanly and materially, so that it gets a new building, a new monitoring center,” he said. 

He spoke particularly about the Ministry of Health. 

“The focus will be on a fairer distribution of funds based on services, not on criteria we did not know. Our citizens demand services. KS has had the most money for healthcare in the past period, and we cannot boast about the service. One of the focuses will be the development and strengthening of our Cantonal Hospital,” he added.