Krišto asks Amidžić to send budget into procedure: He will, but after RAK funds are distributed

(Patria) - The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina at today's session adopted the Report on the Execution of the Budget of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of BiH for the first quarter of 2024.

At the same session, the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto, asked the Minister of Finance of BiH, Srđan Amidžić, to initiate the adoption of the Budget of the Institutions of BiH for 2024 by the next session.

Amidžić replied that the budget is ready but that he is waiting for the Minister of Transport and Communications, Edin Forto, to clarify the funds of the Regulatory Agency for Communications (RAK) and that once that is resolved, the budget can go into procedure.

A confusing statement was also given today by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, Elmedin Konaković, who could not explain what those funds refer to and for what purpose they will be used.

"There is no reason not to send the budget into procedure. Something from the Ministry of Communications, with Minister Edin Forto, the distribution of some funds, it seems to me that it has been agreed and that all preconditions have been created for that document to be in procedure. We hope that this will happen at the next session or as soon as possible," said Konaković.

According to information from Patria, these are RAK funds that should be given to resolve certain obligations of other institutions, such as the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, i.e., for paying some licenses.
However, the question arises whether RAK's earmarked funds can be used for such purposes.

It is evident that this time too, pressure from the RS has borne fruit, so the parties of the troika agreed to the blackmail of their coalition partner.

The adoption of the budget is also blocked due to demands for the distribution of accumulated funds on the account of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH from excise duties in the amount of 262 million KM. However, the Minister of Finance of the Federation of BiH, Toni Kraljević, does not want to agree to the distribution of funds in a way that would damage the budget of the Federation of BiH.