SDA Collegium adopts 10 conclusions regarding coronavirus

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The SDA Collegium, at today's session, adopted 10 conclusions.

We convey the conclusions in full: 

1. We call on citizens of BiH to behave responsibly in the interest of protecting their own health and the health of others and to respect all measures prescribed by competent institutions regarding the prevention of the spread of the coronavirus.

2. We call on competent institutions, in the interest of preventing the spread of the epidemic, to publish the names of persons for whom an isolation measure has been ordered, and to tighten sanctions for non-compliance with prescribed measures. 

3. The SDA condemns the irresponsibility and passivity of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija, who has so far not proposed a single economic measure related to the virus epidemic for adoption by the Council of Ministers, nor by the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. We call on him to urgently enable the adoption of the BiH budget, ensure the postponement of VAT payments until the end of the month, and enable the adoption of other measures to mitigate the consequences of the epidemic and support the real sector. We warn the Chairman of the Council of Ministers that he will bear responsibility for all consequences arising from his targeted blockade of the Council of Ministers' work.

4. We call on assemblies at the state, entity, cantonal, and municipal levels to urgently adopt budget rebalances, bearing in mind the slowdown of the economy and consequently the expected reduction in revenues, prioritizing the redirection of financial resources to remedying the consequences of the epidemic.

5. The SDA demands that all institutions, during the declared state of disaster caused by the coronavirus pandemic, significantly limit salaries in the public sector that exceed the average personal income. Exceptions to this should be employees in healthcare, police, military, civil protection, and inspection services. The funds generated in this way should be directed to appropriate funds and used for the most efficient fight against the pandemic and remedying the economic consequences.

6. We call on the Government of the Federation of BiH to proceed with the purchase of all surpluses of food items, guarantee the purchase, and increase commodity reserves. 

7. We call on the Government of the Federation of BiH and cantonal governments to ensure additional quantities of seeds, mineral fertilizers, and other means for spring sowing. 

8. We call on the Banking Agency to harmonize with commercial banks and guarantee a moratorium on loan repayments for natural and legal persons for the duration of the natural disaster. 

9. We request from the Governing Board and the Governor of the Central Bank to, in accordance with their competencies, urgently define a set of measures that would help remedy the economic consequences caused by the coronavirus.

10. We call on all business entities engaged in the production of medicines and medical equipment to do everything necessary to develop domestic production of those medicines and equipment needed in the fight against the virus epidemic.