Kozarić: BiH has potential, and diaspora should be given space for investment

Kemal Kozarić, Governor of the Central Bank of BiH, spoke at the Forum for Prosperity and Employment held yesterday and today in Sarajevo. He stated that without Euro-Atlantic integration, there is not much talk when it comes to economic development, reports the Patria News Agency.

- I hope that after October and the elections, we will move towards economic development and forget about politics – said Kozarić.

He also emphasized that he will ask banks to accommodate citizens affected by the floods.

- Banks should offer loan restructuring to the affected population – noted Kozarić.

During his speech, Kozarić also touched upon the state of education in BiH, stating that there are no unemployed engineers in the employment bureaus, unlike lawyers or economists, and that a system should be created that responds to market needs.

- I must point out, with due respect, that there is a lot of inertia among the unemployed who expect their relatives to get them jobs, while not engaging personally – added Kozarić.

Stressing that he does not want to lecture the authorities, as he himself is part of the so-called monetary authority, Kozarić points out that we should also turn to people in the diaspora who send 3.5 billion KM to BiH annually through remittances.

- We cannot think about them only in the summer or when they send remittances. We need to provide people with incentives for investment, and this must be a priority, because their annual payments constitute 13.9% of GDP – added Kozarić, emphasizing that BiH has potential in tourism, food production, and many other sectors.