Kožul requests amendments to the Law: Due to US sanctions, Čavara and Špirić would receive salaries in cash

(Patria) - The House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina will, at its next session, consider under an abbreviated procedure the Proposal for amendments to the Law on Financing Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposed by delegate Predrag Kožul (HDZ BiH).

He submitted this proposal today, and the House of Representatives voted on the urgency procedure. In the first round of voting, there were not enough votes, while in the second round there were. However, one delegate reported an error during the voting, so the vote was repeated. In the repeated vote, the urgent procedure did not receive support. Then a vote was taken on the abbreviated procedure, which received support, but this legislative solution will be considered at the next session.

But what lies behind these amendments?

Namely, due to the closure of bank accounts through which salaries were paid to employees of BiH institutions who are under sanctions by the United States, state representative Marinko Čavara and delegate Nikola Špirić were left without the ability to receive their salaries.

Earlier, Marinko Čavara sent a letter seeking a solution on how to exercise his rights arising from the employment relationship.

In the amendments to the Law on Financing Institutions of BiH proposed by Kožul, it is stated that Article 29 is amended to allow cash payment of salaries and other benefits.

„10) The Ministry of Finance and Treasury shall provide cash for the payment of salaries and other benefits to employees for whom, due to objective circumstances, such payment cannot be made via a current account, as well as for the payment of official travel expenses and other minor material costs. Cash is withdrawn based on a submitted monthly plan, a weekly determination of required cash, and a special request with a specification of planned payments. The budget beneficiary is obliged to adopt an internal act determining the amount of the cash limit, the method of use, and responsibility for the material and physical security of the cash, if it has not previously submitted such to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury gives consent to the internal act on the cash limit of the budget beneficiary, depending on the scope and specificity of the activity performed by the budget beneficiary."

In this way, it will be possible to pay salaries to individuals who cannot open a bank account, and they will be paid in cash, for which the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH will be responsible.

For these amendments to enter into force, they must be adopted by both the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.