Smailbegović ahead of ESV session: We are trying to make the best criteria for subsidies

(Patria) - Employers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are still waiting for numerous answers from the FBiH Government, following the decision on the minimum wage.

The session of the Economic and Social Council for the Territory of the Federation of BiH is scheduled for tomorrow, after it was supposed to be held on January 31st. The ESV states that the agenda for tomorrow's session will include the consideration of proposals for measures and legal acts of the FBiH Government related to the calculation and payment of the minimum wage, as well as criteria for refunding or co-financing contributions in accordance with the Decision on the Minimum Wage for 2025, and possibly other issues.

On Wednesday, the Association of Employers of FBiH received the FBiH Government's document on criteria for subsidies and incentives, and they have already announced numerous objections to the proposed document.

According to the Government's criteria, companies that achieve a net profit of less than half a million marks will receive a refund of contributions. The Government has presented four categories for subsidization.

It is already clear that the January salaries will be delayed for numerous workers whose employers do not know how to calculate salaries and whether they can count on subsidies.
The President of the Association of Employers of FBiH, Adnan Smailbegović, told Hayat.ba that it is high time to resolve this situation.

- We are already in a time crunch regarding these January salaries. It should be clarified tomorrow. We have been working intensively all weekend to optimize it. We hope it will be acceptable to the Government as well, so that the Government adopts these two documents tomorrow. We are trying to make the best of what we have. We have a framework within which we must operate, we have a budget, we have these funds, so we will try. It is important to establish better criteria so that these funds truly go to the companies and workers who need them most, in order to preserve as many jobs as possible – says Smailbegović.

He also spoke about the challenges they are facing, which relate to establishing clear criteria.

- It is very difficult to create criteria that will satisfy everyone and be completely fair. But, we are trying to make them as fair as we can, that is in our interest – added Smailbegović.

Employers believe that the current situation could have been avoided if a different approach had been taken.

- The minimum wage was adopted on December 30th, but what can we do now, we have been brought into this situation. This could have been done in October or November last year, or the start of its application could have been postponed to regulate it. But, obviously, the Government has its own goals and agenda with this – concluded Smailbegović for Hayat.ba.