TK: Budget rebalanced, schools left without funds

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Amendments to the Budget of Tuzla Canton, after being adopted at the Government session, today received the green light in the assembly benches. Otherwise, this is the second budget rebalance of this document of vital importance for the most populous canton in the Federation this year, and it concerns funds in the amount of about nine million marks.

The rebalance includes the social protection sector, veteran categories, sustainable return, agricultural production incentives, and sports. Efforts were made to assist significant institutions and companies in the canton that have performed poorly in the past period. Significant funds were also allocated to the field of education.

"Some schools did not have enough funds to complete this financial year with salary and benefit payments, and on the other hand, we had absences of teachers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, where other staff were engaged," explains Vedran Lakić, Minister of Finance of TK.

Special attention was paid to the social population and veteran categories. An amount of over half a million marks was allocated for the payment of subsistence allowance.

"Our desire is that all those who submit applications this year will receive their subsistence allowance, and we have a trend of this number of applications increasing," said Vedran Lakić, Minister of Finance of TK.

Regarding social support, child allowance has been increased from 25 to 30 marks, and for families with three or more children from 43 to 48 marks this year.

"This concerns two months, so it's 100,000, and on an annual level for 2022, these two months will already be included in the right, meaning this item will have to be increased by 600,000 marks, which is not negligible," says Jakub Suljkanović, a representative in the TK Assembly.

The report points out that the Budget of Tuzla Canton would be in deficit of about 30 million marks if it were not for the payment from the International Monetary Fund.

"Despite the increase in indirect taxes by about seven million and some, and savings of one million and 400, the Budget of Tuzla Canton would be in deficit. This means that this Government of Tuzla Canton is not doing its job," believes Žarko Vujović, a representative in the TK Assembly.

Today, the Assembly of Tuzla Canton also adopted the Law on the Execution of the Budget for 2021.