FBiH Government obstructs implementation of the Law on Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime

Deputies of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted amendments to the FBiH Law on Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime, thereby extending the deadline for the start of application of this Law until July 1, 2017.

The federal Government justifies the postponement of the application of the Law by the lack of material, technical and infrastructural capacities for establishing special departments in the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor's Office. At the same time, two weeks ago, the FBiH Government significantly increased fees for its members and advisors, and this in the midst of announced cuts and cost rationalization in the public sector, it was announced from Transparency International BiH, reports the Patria agency.

When creating the budget, care was taken to increase funds for the needs of officials and their advisors, but not for providing conditions for the application of the most important law in the fight against corruption.

The explanation that the Law on Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime cannot begin to be applied because the material conditions for it have not been created only shows that the fight against corruption is not on the list of priorities of the current federal Government. Transparency International in BiH (TI BiH) points out that postponing the deadline for the application of the most important anti-corruption law in no way contributes to the implementation of reforms and European integration processes aimed at establishing the rule of law. There was also earlier practice of establishing new institutions or adopting new regulations without sufficient funds being provided for their work and application.

Laws are not passed to remain a dead letter on paper, and by extending the deadline for the application of a law that should establish the prerequisites for a systemic fight against corruption until 2017, its adoption has been rendered meaningless.