Politicians are the main obstacle to reforms in BiH

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Public administration, energy and the economic sector were the topics discussed at today's session of the Krug 99.

These three items, among others, are part of the Reform Agenda which Bosnia and Herzegovina has still not fully implemented.

At today's session, concern was expressed over the slowness of the process, indicating that BiH will be inefficient in implementing all subsequent reforms.

Participants of Krug 99 believe that public administration reform is one of the key prerequisites for changes at all levels, as this very item will show how interested and serious politicians actually are when it comes to implementing the entire Reform Agenda.

On the other hand, from the perspective of economic empowerment of Bosnia and Herzegovina, experts believe that amendments to the Law on Personal Income Tax, as well as the introduction of new excise duties, are useful, but methods that alone cannot transform the entire economy of the country.

Therefore, they say, they advocate for differentiation of the VAT rate. As stated, the idea that the basic VAT rate should be increased, while health contributions should be reduced in order to create an economic balance without new financial burdens on citizens themselves, has broader consensus both among political parties and among groups that influence public policy-making. Such fiscal devaluation also has the support of today's participants of Krug 99.

The lack of ideas and quality potential solutions that could accelerate the implementation of the Agenda are equally big problems as the political fragmentation that makes it difficult to count on any changes in the country, it was concluded at the session of Krug 99.