Canton Sarajevo Government Extends Moratorium, but New Hirings in Public Institutions Will Occur!

The Government of Sarajevo Canton has adopted a conclusion continuing the moratorium on new hirings this year in all cantonal administrative bodies, administrations and administrative organizations, in administrations and administrative organizations within ministries, public institutions, public funds, cantonal public utility companies, public enterprises, and heads of other budget beneficiaries, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

This also applies to contracts for indefinite and definite periods, as well as contracts for services and other agreements. However, the Sarajevo Canton Government has left the possibility of new hirings, but only with its consent, although it does not specify in which cases this would be allowed.

For example, the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo has an open competition for 45 nurses-technicians needed by the largest hospital, but now no one can say with certainty whether this hiring will be approved.

The government has requested all ministers to submit data on all given consents for filling positions in organizations, institutions, and legal entities where they exercise oversight over the legality of work and operations regarding concluded service contracts and contracts for occasional and temporary work.

Furthermore, it has been ordered that heads of all budget and non-budget beneficiaries take all activities to retire all employees who meet one of the conditions for retirement, and immediately inform the Sarajevo Canton Government about this. Whether new staff will be hired for these positions was not clarified by the government.

The Sarajevo Canton Government introduced a moratorium on hiring in May 2015. In January 2016, data was published showing that the number of beneficiaries receiving salaries from the Sarajevo Canton Budget decreased from 11,500 to 10,800.

The moratorium on hiring „lasted“ throughout 2016, but only in the Water Supply and Sewerage company, more than 50 people were employed. A group of outraged workers warned about obvious nepotism under the direction of VIK director Nezir Hadžić. Approval was given by the Sarajevo Canton Government, although Prime Minister Elmedin Konaković said after numerous media reports about this excessive hiring:

- I am not sure that the people they hired are what VIK needs at this moment. I saw that there is a lot of administration, meaning more people in administration than in the field - said Konaković. 

As previously explained by the Sarajevo Canton Government, the moratorium does not mean stopping hiring in the public sector.

- It must be justified by a clear need, transparent, and as such approved by the government, so as not to jeopardize work processes.

The government also warned that budget beneficiaries are concluding service contracts to a large extent, but this must be under supervision, and the government will henceforth request insight into such work engagements and give consent for them, where work processes truly require it.