Sarajevo Canton on the brink of financial collapse: Government orders suspension of certain budgeted payments

(Patria) - Salaries for budget beneficiaries and certain fees in the Sarajevo Canton were paid late last month. October payments could be delayed even further. But that is not the bad news. The bad news is that the payments themselves are questionable in the coming period and that salary cuts are likely, writes Hayat.ba.

The cantonal government of the Trojka would have to adopt a budget revision. However, the revision would go before the Assembly, where the opposition sits, where cameras and journalists are present, along with the public, and many things would have to be admitted. First and foremost, that there is no money. Then, numerous questions would have to be answered.

The first would be: Is the government stealing citizens' money? Because they claimed: "When there is no theft, there is money." And there is no money. This is confirmed by the Decision on suspending the execution of expenditures in the special part of the budget of the Sarajevo Canton for 2024.

The government of Prime Minister Uk came up with the idea of essentially implementing the budget revision through a decision, which was adopted based on their own Conclusion passed the same day. The government is showing creativity, as one might say - they managed. True, they encroached on the Assembly's jurisdiction, but that is currently their smallest problem. The biggest, to repeat, is that there is no money.

The aforementioned Decision was adopted on the last day of October. It was then that it became clear that, without interventions in the budget, the payment of salaries to budget beneficiaries by the end of the year would be, not questionable, but impossible. Of course, this was clear even before October. But who would spoil the atmosphere colored by pre-election promises and stories about how, if citizens vote for the Trojka parties, prosperity from the Sarajevo Canton would spill over to the rest of the country, just because of the budget deficit… Right? (As some regime and budget-dependent analysts/analysts unoriginally and every so often ask).

The elections are over, and "colorful lies" cannot replace salaries. With the mentioned Decision, the government of Nihad Uk, actually the government of NiP, SDP, NS, and ZNG, removed funds planned by the budget from numerous ministries and institutions and transferred everything for the needs of gross salary and compensation payments. This amounts to a total of 32.5 million marks.

The budget adopted in the KS Assembly planned support for Srebrenica in the amount of two million marks. The public has been informed about this many times. For example, during criticisms that funds are being distributed non-transparently from the position of the Office of the President of the Assembly to associations in Srebrenica led by NiP members. They explained then that everyone is malicious and hypocritical, and only the Trojka government in KS helps Srebrenica systematically, through the Office and the Law. Well, the two million, specifically intended for the Office of the Government of KS for support to Srebrenica and the implementation of the Law on Srebrenica, were removed by the Decision of October 31 and their purpose was changed.

To avoid confusion, not only funds intended for genocide victims were taken. Funds intended for existential and other purposes of veterans were also taken. And half a million intended for solving veterans' housing issues. A total of 1.4 million KM was removed from the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs.

Police officers in KS will also not receive new uniforms and equipment. The 2.5 million marks intended for this purpose were taken by the government. The Ministry of Economy had 4.6 million marks removed, including half a million each from incentives for primary agricultural production and preservation of old crafts. Landslides around Sarajevo threaten as never before. The government is not indifferent, but it still took 200,000 KM from Civil Protection.

The most money, 6,670,000 KM, was removed by the government from the positions of the Ministry of Communal Economy. Incidentally, this is the ministry due to which the citizens of Vogošća are freezing. They say they don't even have money for two tanks of heating oil. Young people solving housing issues were also considered. We remember that they previously received historic promises, then minimal subsidies, then again promises that they would be compensated. By the Decision we are dealing with in this text, half a million marks was removed from the position of Subsidizing young people in solving housing issues.

Article 6 of the Decision orders the University of Sarajevo not to create additional obligations on salary positions. And, as we learn, salaries for university employees for November and December will be significantly reduced. Because of this, talk of protests is already growing louder. Citizens from Vogošća have also announced protests. Workers of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo will also take to the streets. Many unions are discussing the possibility of calling their members to protest. Judging by everything, the streets and the area in front of the Government building of the Sarajevo Canton could soon become crowded.