While many European countries, as well as our neighbors, give money to citizens as a one-time aid to help overcome the imported economic crisis, the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have not announced such assistance, even though public revenues are growing. Economists and trade unionists point out that this passivity is wrong because we are close to the second inflationary shock, which will happen when workers demand higher wages.
The economic crisis in BiH is increasingly difficult for citizens with the lowest incomes, including pensioners. They expect short-term help from local authorities, which boast of filling the budget, and speeding up the adoption of medium- and long-term measures to mitigate the effects of the imported crisis, BHRT writes.
”Bearing in mind the latest moves in the BiH Parliament where the abolition of excise duties on fuel, specifically the reduction of the VAT rate on basic foodstuffs, has not taken place, it is illusory to expect that the funds they use from the budget will be directed to the workers. We did not ask for help for those who have good salaries around 2 thousand BAM, we asked it for workers with the lowest incomes and pensioners,” pointed out Selvedin Satorovic from the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of BiH.
In response to the crisis, the Federation Parliament adopted the Bill on the payment of child allowance of 103 BAM for families whose income per household member does not exceed 40 percent of the lowest salary in the Federation of BiH (FBiH). Support for unemployed mothers in this entity has also been announced. All this is not enough when food and energy prices are rising every day. Economic experts believe that the state must give up part of what it takes to help citizens.
”Return the portion through less income taxation, that is the first 1.000 BAM, give up part of the income, give it as a salary to the worker, and if we stop such a spiral rise in prices, of course, the worker will not put pressure on the employer, because the state has in some way allowed him to increase wages,” says economic expert Faruk Hadzic.
And while our government is passive, the countries in Europe, but also in the region, help their citizens through one-time assistance, even though they have an incomparably better standard of living than ours. This is also an alarm for strengthening our own production. Especially agriculture, which is neglected despite all the natural conditions.
”There is no real desire to help citizens and the economy. The BiH authorities are focused on their growing budgets and how to spend them, while they do not care about the citizens and the economy,” said economic expert Damir Miljevic.
The big challenge is to maintain the level of consumption or even increase it. It is impossible to do that without additional funds that would be provided to the citizens. Representatives of the International Monetary Fund have also spoken out these days. They told our authorities that they should provide temporary, targeted assistance to vulnerable households.
E.Dz.
