Kasumović: If he wants, Zvizdić can stop further borrowing by the state

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić has mechanisms to stop further borrowing by Bosnia and Herzegovina, if he wishes, former deputy state minister of finance of Bosnia and Herzegovina Fuad Kasumović told the Bosnian news agency Patria.

On Friday, Zvizdić said that BiH will not borrow at the state level, especially not from commercial banks, but he did not want to comment on the borrowing of the BiH entities, the Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, which are negotiating with the IMF for new loan tranches, as well as with commercial banks if the negotiations with the IMF fail.

Many analysts have assessed Zvizdić's attitude towards the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina as hypocritical. Zvizdić shifts responsibility for excessive borrowing at the state level to the entities, even though it is the state prime minister who has the authority to block further borrowing by the entities, especially when it comes to borrowing for public spending.

- External borrowing cannot happen without Zvizdić's signature. Simply put, it is enough for him not to put that item on the agenda of the Council of Ministers, and he has already prevented the entities from further borrowing - says Kasumović.