Nikšić and Kraljević Halt Plan to Pay RS Debt from BiH Central Bank Accounts

(Patria) - Federal Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić vetoed at today's extraordinary session of the BiH Fiscal Council, thus stopping the proposal for the entity RS's debt to the Slovenian company Viaduct to be paid from the BiH budget, was confirmed to Faktor by the FBiH Government.

The federal Minister of Finance, Toni Kraljević, also opposed this proposal by the BiH Council of Ministers.

This concerns over 110 million KM that the RS is obliged to pay to this company based on an international arbitration in Washington. Interest on the debt increases by an additional 18,000 KM daily.

The session was convened by the Chairperson of the BiH Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto, at the proposal of the BiH Minister of Finance and Treasury, Srđan Amidžić, who had not offered a solution for debt repayment for months.

Amidžić attempted to shift the burden to the BiH Air Navigation Services Agency (BHANSA), whose funds are blocked due to this debt.

On Friday, the BiH Council of Ministers proposed a model whereby the RS debt would be paid by reallocating funds from the BiH Central Bank.

Nikšić immediately rejected this, announcing that he would use his right to veto and thus prevent the realization of this proposal.

"We will not give FBiH money to cover the debts of an entity that openly undermines the state. The Council of Ministers has clearly overstepped, but they can freely disregard that directive," Nikšić stated on his Facebook profile on Friday.