Decision on distribution of funds for fighting coronavirus to be annulled

(Patria) - The latest decision by the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the distribution of funds to municipalities and cities in the fight against coronavirus has been questioned by leaders of certain local communities. Many officials have reacted, and as confirmed to Patria from multiple sources, this decision will be annulled. This distribution was carried out in the Ministry of Finance, headed by Jelka Milićević (HDZ).

Otherwise, according to the mentioned controversial decision, Tešanj, with three infected individuals, received 30,000 KM, while Kupres, with no infected persons, received 700,000 KM in financial aid. At the top of the list is Novi Travnik with 1.2 million KM in aid.

Although the criterion for distributing funds was not the number of infected individuals, it should, in the opinion of many, be important given that the costs of medical staff have increased due to the emergency situation, and the purpose of the financial aid itself is for capital and infrastructure projects, assistance in undertaking preventive measures in the fight against COVID-19, and remediation of consequences resulting from the declaration of the pandemic.

The Government of the Federation of BiH, however, took into account the number of inhabitants, the area of the municipality, and the number of students in primary and secondary schools as criteria for distributing funds, but the distribution of money has called all these criteria into question.

Thus, Novi Travnik leads the list of financial aid with 1.2 million KM, followed by Živinice and Kupres with 700,000 KM each, Široki Brijeg with 550,000 KM, and others, while at the bottom of the list are Banovići, Drvar, Donji Vakuf, Ilijaš, Visoko, Bosansko Grahovo, and Foča with 40,000 KM each, and in the last place with the smallest amount is Tešanj, which received only 30,000 KM.

Denis Zvizdić also reacted, stating that such a discriminatory decision must be changed so that every resident of the FBiH is treated equally, because coronavirus knows no ethnic or political affiliation.

"Therefore, to restore balance, the general good must be above ethnic, local, or party interests," Zvizdić wrote.