Šteta pays subsidies for 111 young people: Public call from 2023, money from the 2024 Budget, and payment in 2025

(Patria) - The Ministry of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection of Sarajevo Canton, headed by Minister Adnan Šteta, informs candidates from the Final priority list for subsidizing housing solutions for young people who have not yet received the subsidy for 2023, and who have not submitted the required documentation, to submit a notarized document of candidate obligations which has the status of an executive document within the meaning of Article 90 of the Law on Notaries, containing the following elements:

a) that the candidate agrees not to alienate the apartment or house that is the subject of the purchase agreement, or the house or apartment that is the subject of construction within five years from the date of payment of funds for the subsidy, and that they will submit an extract from the land registry for that property to the Ministry by January 30th each year as proof,

b) that the candidate undertakes to reside in the Sarajevo Canton continuously for five years from the date of payment of funds for the subsidy, and that they will submit a CIPS residency registration to the Ministry by January 30th each year,

c) that the candidate undertakes, if they alienate the property that is the subject of the purchase agreement, or the subject of the construction permit, for which they received a subsidy, or if they change their place of residence outside the Sarajevo Canton within the period prescribed by this decision, to reimburse the Ministry for the funds paid for the subsidy, reduced by one-fifth for each year the property was used after the payment of funds for the subsidy, no later than 30 days from the date of alienation of the property or change of residence.

In addition to the aforementioned notarized document, candidates are required to submit a bank confirmation of the transaction account to which the funds will be paid.

Candidates from the Final priority list for subsidizing housing solutions for young people who have not yet received the subsidy for 2023, and who have already submitted a notarized document and transaction account number with their applications, are required to submit a statement certified by the municipal authority that they have not sold the property that is the subject of the subsidy and have not changed their place of residence from the Sarajevo Canton, and any changes to the transaction account to which the funds will be paid.

The required documentation should be submitted to the Protocol of Sarajevo Canton for the Ministry of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection of Sarajevo Canton, at the address ul. Reisa Džemaludina Čauševića br.1, 71000 Sarajevo. The deadline for submitting the documentation is Thursday, January 23, 2025, by 4:00 PM.

Given that the funds for this notification are secured in the 2024 Budget, the deadline for submitting documentation has been set to comply with the obligations and procedures for spending funds by the end of the fiscal year 2024. The Ministry states that candidates who do not submit the necessary documentation by the indicated deadline will not receive the subsidy for housing solutions from the 2024 Budget. You can view the full list HERE.

This decision raises the question of whether it was possible to retroactively pay money from the 2024 Budget for the public call from 2023. 500,000 KM was planned in the 2024 Budget for subsidies, but the public call was never published.

The Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk, also pointed out that there are different legal interpretations in this case. He previously claimed that it was impossible to pay money from the 2024 Budget for the previous year. However, this year, 2025, the KS Government has shown that this is also possible. But whether it is legal is a question for other authorities.

Subsidies will be paid to 111 young people if they submit all documents by the specified deadline.