BiH Finally Formally and Legally Gets Budget for 2020

At the session of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, at an urgent session, the Report of the Joint Commission of both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH on achieving an identical text of the Law on the Budget of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and international obligations of BiH for 2020 was considered.

The Commission's report was unanimously adopted, and thus BiH finally got its budget for 2020.

Dušanka Majkić (SNSD), the Chairwoman of the Commission, said that today finally marks the end of the agony through the budget.

Zlatko Miletić from the Club of Croats said that he cannot help but draw attention to the economic issues in BiH.

“I do not agree with the Commission's position, although I will vote for the budget. We should have had consideration for the citizens who are facing the migrant crisis. We could have accepted that amendment. By adopting these amendments, we have humiliated the citizens. If it is true that some two Audis will be bought for I don't know whom, it is a shame. Please, for next year, if not now, let's empathize with them, let's show empathy. People are unemployed and don't know how to feed their families. Cut us all, let's help people who are in existential need, let's help companies,” said Miletić.

Asim Sarajlić (SDA), at the beginning, spoke about the death of Minister Salko Bukvarević, saying that it is a great loss.

“We have gone through a very difficult path to this budget. There are no ideal solutions. But today is a step forward. Society is suffering, we are struggling with the corona, the migrant crisis. When the numbers are more intense and death takes its toll, we must move past some things and look at the bigger picture,” said Sarajlić.

Denis Bećirović (SDP) said that the solutions are bad and the messages sent are bad.

“A bad budget, the amendments submitted by HDZ have made things even more difficult. But an unadopted budget is worse than a bad budget,” said Bećirović.
Lidija Bradara (HDZ) emphasized that she understands her colleagues who have the need to say all this.

“This budget has been returned to the legal framework. I hope that during this year we will have the opportunity to discuss the draft budget for 2021. The best message will be to adopt the budget for next year by the end of this year,” added Bradara.

The House of Representatives of the state parliament adopted the report of the Joint Commission which harmonized the text of the Budget Law, which the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples had previously adopted with different amendments.

The Commission determined the text that was adopted in the House of Peoples. According to the harmonized text, the budget is in the form in which the Council of Ministers of BiH submitted it to the Presidency of BiH as the authorized proposer.

The amendment adopted by the House of Representatives, which relates to securing funds for assistance in resolving the migrant crisis, which has most affected the Una-Sana Canton, was not incorporated into the budget. Jasmin Emrić (A-SDA) requested 450,000 KM for assistance in the migrant crisis, but in the end, this amendment was not adopted.

Also, the deputies rejected the proposal of the Presidency of BiH in the part relating to the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH - Capital Expenditures, where the proposed amount is reduced by 754,000 KM.