Prime Minister Pivić and Speaker Huskić Summarize 2024: Salary Increase from January 1st, Helicopter Procurement Planned

(Patria) - The Prime Minister of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, Nezir Pivić, today at the traditional New Year's gathering with journalists and editors of media outlets and correspondents, summarized the outgoing year, stating that 2024 was a successful year and that the Government he leads has made significant strides in all segments.

He announced that he held a meeting this morning with the Mayor of Zenica, Fuad Kasumović, and that the mayor is seeking 10 million KM for land within the Zenica Cantonal Hospital for the construction of the New Hospital building at the existing location. He stated that funds for the conceptual design of the New Hospital have been secured in the budget rebalance, but the project is not progressing at the planned pace due to unresolved property-legal relations with the City of Zenica.

- You saw that we had an incredible situation where, just before the elections, the City of Zenica made a decision to cede land to the Cantonal Hospital Zenica (KBZ), and immediately after the elections, the same decision was withdrawn by the mayor and city councilors. We asked for an explanation, but you cannot get a reasonable explanation. We have intensified talks with the mayor - said Prime Minister Pivić.

He noted that yesterday the management of KBZ held a meeting with Kasumović at KBZ.

- This morning I also had a meeting with the mayor, and we discussed these issues. Now a new idea has emerged - the mayor is asking for the land for KBZ to be paid for. Certain amounts were discussed, and we will see how we proceed. Ultimately, we want to resolve this issue – we are not shying away from paying. But, we come to the conclusion that a private clinic can get it for free, while a public institution, KBZ, has to pay the City for that land - said the Prime Minister of ZDC.

He announced that he will continue negotiations and does not want to close any options.

- We will definitely build that hospital. We will exhaust all mechanisms to keep it in Zenica, because it is natural and due to a number of other things. No one will stop us from realizing this project - Prime Minister Pivić stated, emphasizing that they want to ensure quality service for about 400,000 citizens of this canton, as well as the neighboring SBK which uses certain services of KBZ.

He emphasized that the ZDC Government enters 2025 with an adopted budget of a record 700 million KM, and the financial plans of public institutions have also been adopted. He stated that the priority in the work of the ZDC Government, besides financial stability and the execution of regular legal and constitutional obligations, is the fight against corruption, and that in 2024, the material status of all employees receiving salaries from the budget and the fund of the Health Insurance Institute has been improved, and all employees will have their salaries increased by 10 percent from January 1st.

He added that the Government is also committed to settling obligations towards employees based on the payment of salary differences and compensation under the collective agreement, in accordance with the Action Plan for which the European Court of Human Rights has given consent, and that 15.5 million KM has been paid on this basis in 2024.

He announced that the ZDC Government plans to procure a helicopter in 2025 for use by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and Civil Protection, as a response to natural disasters and population security, and as part of equipping the MUP, the procurement of weapons and three armored vehicles is planned.

The Speaker of the ZDC Assembly, Ćazim Huskić, emphasized that they have followed the needs of the ZDC Government, and out of 72 acts foreseen by the Assembly's Work Program, 49 acts have been considered and adopted.

- Thirty acts were considered outside the SZDK Work Program for 2024, caused by the circumstances and difficulties in ZDC, i.e., the needs expressed by the ZDC Government - said Huskić.

He pointed out that the Government and the Assembly of ZDC had a successful year behind them, assessing that they are one of the few cantons that have fulfilled all their obligations on time and that there has been no expression of dissatisfaction from workers or other categories on the streets.