'Bosniak unity' should admit that finances belong to HDZ!

It is now clear that SDA's insisting on allocating the realm of finance to HDZ was wrong. Federation BiH is governed in a 'Balkans way' and with magic of reforms. It is not the first time that SDA is giving in to ultimate requests of HDZ, which continues to control all financial flows in the country.  

Why is Prime Minister FBiH keeping silent when his deputy, Minister of Finance is fiercely opposing to an economic opportunity to inject much needed additional tax profit into the federal budget that is at present in the state of accumulated deficit of 83 million KM?

Only Federal Institute PIO/MIO (retirement fund) is in the state of accumulated deficit of 170 million KM! This kind of behavior and attitude of someone who runs finance in Federation BiH and who is supposed to fight for increase of public revenue is downright despicable.

Economic measure for recovery of accumulated deficit of 170 million KM of Institute PIO/MIO is taxation of all betting shops and their integration in the VAT system. In practice, that would mean additional 200 million KM tax profits into the FBiH budget to improve livelihoods of our pensioners. Lucky winners would be pensioners. However, instead of being allocated to pensioners, the tax money from lottery games goes to HDZ election campaign.

The latest illustration of inexplicable giving in to HDZ is the example of an episode in parliament which we can colloquially call 'lottery games'. Following a signal from HDZ, SDA withdrew from parliamentary procedure Proposal of law on changes and addendums to the Law on lottery games and Proposal of law on changes and addendums to the Law on tax on income, by which the betting shops were supposed to be taxed additionally!

The last session of Home of Representatives of FBiH Parliament was stopped upon HDZ insisting to remove this item from the agenda. SBB supported HDZ initiative. To show his support, President of FBiH Marinko Cavara hosted a meeting with owners of some of the biggest betting shops in FBiH to hear their complaints about their 'lack of rights'.

In all of the above examples, and there are more of those, so called 'Bosniak unity' embodied in two Bosniak parties SDA and SBB, is silent. Their self-indulgent ministers only care about – themselves.

I wonder if SDA and SBB have enough courage to confront finance imperors of BiH, that is HDZ BiH.

SBB will continue to observe and vote according to instructions they get from SDA. On the other hand, SDA will start to pretend to be in conflict with HDZ, as part of their pre election campaign. For sake of public perception, they will pretend to have fulfilled all requests and wishes of HDZ.

The perception of BH public is that  SDA is fulfilling all political requests of HDZ. That perception is correct.

By: Prof Dr Dzenan Djonlagic, Federal Representative for Democratic Front