EMPLOYERS Do not pass laws that will not ensure real economic relief

(Patria) - The Association of Employers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is encouraged by the talks with the leaders of the political parties that formed the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Leaders of political parties expressed unequivocal support for the employers' demands and promised that their cadres in the executive and legislative authorities will work on the implementation of what was agreed.

After the meeting, during the operational implementation of what was agreed, we noticed different views, even to the extent of demanding an increase in contributions. The legal solutions proposed by the Government of the FBiH and currently in the legislative procedure are not reformist and will not ease the position of the economy, nor enable economic growth and an increase in the standard of living.

"We demand that contributions be reduced to 30 percent, and that employers be exempted from paying profit tax for the amount they invest. We demand that the subsidization of the economy, which experienced a drop in revenue due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, continue until the end of the year.

In parallel, we expect the criteria for determining the minimum wage to be established as soon as possible, so that negotiations can begin in the shortest possible time and a significant increase in the minimum wage can be determined, which would be much higher than what has been mentioned in the public in recent days as a possible new amount for the minimum wage. If even these minimal demands are not acceptable, we call on the representatives of the executive and legislative authorities to abandon the adoption of legal solutions that are currently in the parliamentary procedure.

It is completely irrational to spend energy, resources, and time that will not ensure any improvement in the business environment and an increase in wages. All our proposals ensure the preservation of existing and the creation of new jobs, the stability of budget revenues and extra-budgetary fund revenues, and ultimately represent a sure way out of the current crisis.

Now is the right time to adopt these reform measures that will ensure solutions for exiting the crisis and enable economic growth," it was announced.