Voting on salary reduction postponed, Excise Law adopted

At today's all-day session of the House of Representatives of the BiH PA, representatives discussed the initiative to reduce salaries of officials and employees of state institutions, as well as the new law on excise duties on tobacco. Representatives debated whether it was about setting salaries or limiting them. The opinion was also heard that the law should be applied immediately, not from the next term. The Law on Limiting Income was supported by all representatives except SNSD, reports FTV.

SDA representative Šefik Džaferović said about this initiative that in the end it would be "the mountain shook, a mouse was born," while SBiH representative Beriz Belkić asked what this would produce.

Drago Kalabić from SNSD, who was against it, said that the protests were not held throughout BiH.

Representatives also voted today on the Law on Excise Duties on Tobacco, which the Council of Ministers sent for urgent procedure. The Minister of Finance and Treasury, Nikola Špirić, addressed the representatives, stating that the budgets needed urgent revenue.

- Tax evasion in BiH is high, even in the millions, and that was the reason we opted for the application of this law - said Špirić.

There were divided opinions among the representatives on this issue as well. Asim Sarajlić from SDA said that this would only increase the development of the black market.

Representatives also discussed the Report on the Audit of the topic "FIPA's Effectiveness in Attracting Foreign Investments to BiH", as well as the work of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH.

Voting on all five proposals for salary reduction postponed.

The Bill on Amendments to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposed by MPs Nermina Zaimović Uzunović (SDP) and Asim Sarajlić (SDA), did not receive the necessary entity majority from Republika Srpska, and the law was returned to the Collegium for harmonization.

Deputies adopted the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Excise Duties in Bosnia and Herzegovina under urgent procedure, proposed by the Council of Ministers of BiH.