Pension contributions enabled for 30 RMU Kakanj employees who meet retirement conditions

(Patria) - The Government of the Federation of BiH, at the proposal of the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry, adopted a Decision on the payment of outstanding unpaid obligations for pension and disability insurance for the purpose of connecting years of service for employees of the Kakanj Brown Coal Mine d.o.o. Kakanj.

The decision approves the connection of years of service for unpaid contributions to Pension and Disability Insurance (PIO/MIO) for 30 employees who have met the conditions for retirement, in the total amount of 1,268,651.68 KM.

This amount will be paid from the funds of RMU "Kakanj", and JP "Elektroprivreda BiH" d.d. Sarajevo, RMU "Kakanj", the Federal PIO Fund, and the FBiH Tax Administration are responsible for the implementation of the decision.

It was explained that the Government of the Federation of BiH, in the previous period, made decisions on the payment of outstanding unpaid obligations for PIO/MIO for connecting years of service for employees of dependent companies - coal mines in the "Elektroprivreda BiH" Concern.

These obligations were paid from the funds of dependent companies-mines, and were secured by decisions on approving funds for granting loans to dependent companies-coal mines from JP EP BiH, adopted on May 25, 2021, and October 17, 2023.

The explanation states that RMU "Kakanj" submitted a request to "Elektroprivreda BiH", as the parent company, to enable the connection of years of service for employees who meet the conditions for retirement by May 31, 2024, by paying PIO/MIO contributions.

Subsequently, this electric power company approached the Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry with a request to adopt a Decision on the payment of outstanding unpaid obligations for connecting years of service for unpaid contributions, the implementation of which enables the continuation of the restructuring process of coal mines.

Strategy for Long-Term Building Renovation

The Government of the Federation of BiH, at the proposal of the Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning, adopted a conclusion on accepting the Strategy for Long-Term Building Renovation in the Federation of BiH for the period up to 2050.

The Government will submit this strategy to the FBiH Parliament for consideration and adoption. This is a development document that represents a strategic commitment to the demands of the energy transition and mitigating the effects of climate change. Building renovation aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions is the development focus of this document.

In the explanation, it was stated that by adopting and implementing the Strategy, the Government of the Federation of BiH will make a full contribution to improving key macroeconomic indicators such as GDP growth, employment, and citizens' living standards, as well as reducing the trade deficit.

The legal basis for accepting the Strategy is contained in the directives of the European Union on energy efficiency and on the energy performance of buildings, the implementation of which is mandatory in accordance with the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency of FBiH, and the Decision on the development of the sectoral Strategy for Long-Term Building Renovation in FBiH.

Among the reasons for adoption, it is stated that this strategy is based on the projection of the energy sector from the Integrated Energy and Climate Plan of BiH, representing its implementation document for the energy efficiency component.

Among other things, strategic commitments regarding the long-term renovation of buildings in FBiH for the period up to 2050 have been defined, including commitments for three ten-year periods up to 2030, 2040, and 2050, with the aim of achieving an energy-highly efficient and decarbonized building stock by 2050.

It was explained that the renovation of residential and non-residential buildings by applying energy efficiency measures results in lower energy losses, i.e., reduced energy demand, which generates savings in budgets (public and private) and achieves a reduction in CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, intensive renovation contributes to increased employment through the development of the construction sector (engineering services, production of construction materials and products, and construction operations), and increases the value and lifespan of renovated buildings, as well as indoor comfort and air quality.

It was also emphasized that on our country's path to the EU, better use of EU funds for financing development priorities is essential. Therefore, it is also noted that the existence of strategic documents that articulate development priorities is one of the key prerequisites for accessing and using EU funds.

The strategy also defines an estimate of the required investments, for which it was emphasized that all available sources of financing will need to be used, such as budgets at various levels of government, available EU funds, investments from energy service provider companies, investments from the energy saving obligation system, as well as public-private partnerships and preferential loans.