By: Medina Malagić
At the press conference held today in Hotel “Europe” in Sarajevo, the Ambassador of Great Britain to BiH and the Prime Minister of the FBiH Nermin Nikšić spoke on the results of the cooperation between the Embassy and the FBiH regarding the project “Support to FBiH government in fighting corruption through the development and implementation of operative anti-corruption plans and programs of education”.
Last year, on 8 May 2012, the FBiH government adopted a General Anti-Corruption Plan in the fight against corruption and a Monitoring and Coordination Team that would be responsible carrying out the implementation of this project.
For the implementation of the program, the British Embassy lent its financial assistance with 230 thousand KM.
British Ambassador Nigel Casey stated that this is a two-year long project together with the FBiH government and since then, the British Embassy has supported the FBiH government in taking this project to the next level. That is, the project has moved from the declarative phase to the operative phase.
Ambassador Casey highlighted the importance of the success of the implementation of this plan for the progress of BiH and its future accession to the EU.
“We are supporting this project because corruption is one of the most serious obstacles in the progress of BiH. It is a major issue for all countries that want to join the EU, and it requires a response at all levels of government”, said British Ambassador Nigel Casey.
He also thanked the Center for Criminal Policy Research, which is the implementer of this project in cooperation with the FBiH government, and stated that in the next twelve months the British Embassy would continue to provide further support in technical assistance, consulting and education so that the government could implement the plan that is already in place.
A similar project has begun with the government of the RS.
Prime Minister of the FBiH Nermin Nikšić thanked the British Embassy for their support in moving the project from the declarative to the operational stage. However, Prime Minister Nikšić also said that the operational phase of the project could go faster and be better, since there is much more that needs to be done.
The Prime Minister named six FBiH institutions that have been the most successful in the implementation of the project: Ministries of Finance, Veterans’ Affairs, Internal Affairs, Justice, and the Police Administration and Inspection Directorate.
While these institutions have gone the farthest in implementing the measures, there are other institutions that still have a long way to go. Thus, training will begin today for other FBiH institutions in order to adopt the 41 measures that are contained in the General Plan for the fight against corruption.
He lauded the efforts of the FBiH governemnt in carrying out key reforms and laws that would effectively tackle corruption and organized crime.
After Ambassador Casey and Prime Minister Nikšić addressed the media, the presentation of the results of the project was held, as well as the training of 37 FBiH institutions on the methodology for operational plans to fight corruption under the organization of the Monitoring and Coordination Team to implement the General Plan of the FBiH government in the fight against corruption.
