Payment of part of salaries to businessmen in KS planned for June and July this year

(Patria) - Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Mario Nenadić organized today the 13th session of the Coordination Body for proposing measures for the protection and recovery of the economy, and improving the position of employees and businessmen affected by the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The meeting analyzed the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Mitigating Negative Economic Consequences and Savings in KS, and discussed possible forms and measures for improving the position of businessmen in KS. The amendments to the law will be presented to the deputies at tomorrow's continuation of the KS Assembly session.

Support for the proposed amendments to the law was sent from the meeting by the Employers' Association and the Trade Union Association operating within this body.

"As members of this Coordination Body and as representatives of employers, we appeal to the deputies of the KS Assembly to pass the Law on Amendments to the Law on Mitigating Negative Economic Consequences and Savings in KS at tomorrow's Assembly session, because every day of delay in assistance to economic entities jeopardizes their survival and the survival of jobs," the associations and unions stated.

The initiative for amending the Law was submitted by the Ministry of Economy, and according to the Minister of Finance of KS Jasmin Halebić, the amendment to the Law includes the expansion of the legal framework so that the measure of co-financing the payment of salaries or part of the minimum net salary can be realized for an additional two months - June and July.

"The current Law treats these measures as short-term, and their application applied to the period until May this year, as it was assumed that the coronavirus epidemic would be over by autumn. Unfortunately, the epidemic is still here, and we must find ways to help the economy for as long as possible in the manner prescribed by the aforementioned Law," Halebić stated.

He added that the proposed amendments to this law also bring an expanded normative framework, so that, in addition to commercial banks that were covered by the current legal solution, it can be supplemented with credit opportunities through the Credit Guarantee Fund, which already exists and operates in KS.

The next meeting, aimed at defining sub-legal acts for resolving current issues, will be held next Thursday. It was also concluded that the Employers' Association will submit a proposal of necessary measures, which Prime Minister Nenadić will present at the meeting of ten cantonal prime ministers with the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH Fadil Novalić, scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, 2020.