Temporary financing of BiH institutions secured until December 31

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The Council of Ministers of BiH should adopt the Decision on Temporary Financing for the first three months of 2022 next week. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH had previously prepared the decision and submitted it to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Zoran Tegeltija, but he did not put it on the agenda of the session held on December 16.

The last Decision on Temporary Financing of BiH Institutions and International Obligations of BiH was adopted on September 28, 2021, for the period October-December 2021.

The entire year 2021 passed on "temporary financing", and Article 11 of the Law on Financing of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina provides for temporary financing in accordance with the last budget law of BiH institutions, which was for 2020.

"If the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not adopt the Budget Law before the beginning of the fiscal year, financing will be temporary until the entry into force of that law. Temporary financing, for the purpose of carrying out activities legally defined by budget users, is carried out in the amount of up to one quarter of the budget for financing the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with the last budget law of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on which the Council of Ministers of BiH makes a special decision", the law states.

The draft budget of BiH institutions and international obligations of BiH for 2022 is not ready, although the law stipulates a deadline of October 1.

Although the law allows for such financing, this situation is solely the fault of political parties from Republika Srpska, primarily SNSD, which are blocking and preventing the normal functioning of state institutions.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasizes that they are working intensively on preparing the budget for 2022. However, although according to the Law on the Fiscal Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Fiscal Council is obliged to adopt the "Global Framework of Fiscal Balance and Policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina" relating to the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this has not happened, thus halting the procedure.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury is obliged to submit the Indicative Budget Framework Document to the Council of Ministers for adoption no later than June 15 of the current year.

"After the Fiscal Council adopts this document for the period 2022-2024, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury will prepare the Draft Indicative Budget Framework Document of BiH institutions for the period 2022-2024 and submit it to the Council of Ministers of BiH. After the Council of Ministers of BiH adopts the Indicative Budget Framework Document, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury will prepare the Draft Law on the Budget of BiH Institutions and International Obligations of BiH for 2022 and submit it to the Council of Ministers of BiH for further procedure", stated the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH.

According to the Law on Financing of BiH Institutions, the draft budget for the next year is submitted to the Council of Ministers no later than October 1 of the current year, then the Council of Ministers submits it to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina by October 15, the Presidency of BiH submits the budget proposal to the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina by November 1, which adopts it by December 31.