Reports on amendments to the excise and tax laws were again removed from the agenda of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH). The collegium of this House “removed” the points before the actual session, which was sharply and accurately pointed out by Sefik Dzaferovic, emphasizing that they should not have done that.
Before the session of the House of Peoples, a meeting of the Collegium was held with the aim of determining the agenda, which normally consists of Dragan Covic (HDZ), Nikola Spiric(SNSD) and Kemal Ademovic (NiP). On that occasion, they removed five items from the agenda, among other things, the reports on amendments to the law on excises and taxes, which passed all the necessary harmonization and adoption, except in this House yesterday.
SDA delegate Sefik Dzaferovic pointed out that the points should not have been removed because everyone should decide on that.
“The collegium has decided that it is not on the agenda. I think that you do not have that authority, that authority can only have this House, and do not make it your business what is not your business. Otherwise, there is no need to invite us here if you can do it yourself to determine the agenda and make decisions,” he said.
He pointed to Article 60 of the Rules of Procedure of the House of Peoples, according to which it is stated that the Collegium of the House must include draft laws with opinions, reports of commissions and all other mandatory items in the agenda. Healso pointed out the mandatory points.
“Mandatory points are those that have passed the procedure in accordance with the Rules of Procedure or if requested unanimously by the committee of the House. This what you removed passed all procedures. Both houses adopted, the texts were agreed in the committees, the House of Representativesadopted it, and the House of Peoples’s collegium said today that will not be at the session. Why?” asked Dzarovic yesterday.
In addition, Article 62 of the Rules of Procedure says: “At the beginning of the session of the House, the delegate has the right to ask for the omission of any optional point. The omission of mandatory points is not allowed”.
After an individual vote on whether excise taxes and VAT will be returned to the agenda, it was determined that there is neither entity nor a general majority in the House for it to happen, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
