It is illogical but nothing unusual that the budget in Bosnia and Herzegovina is adopted even at the end of the year. We have not abandoned the bad practice – the most important documents in the country were previously adopted in the second quarter, while in the first quarter we suffered losses. However, as a country with candidate status, we are now under the scrutiny of the European Union. Without the budget, there was no money for many projects, employment, procurement of equipment, even the operations of some institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina were threatened. There are many delays, and perhaps the worst thing is that we were losing our reputation with the international community every day.
The green light from Brussels opened the possibility for our country to receive money from EU funds. The growth plan for the Western Balkans was seen by domestic politicians as a reward for what was done on the European road. The European Union has prepared 70 million marks for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first tranche. However, since the basic instrument by which the funds would be operational was the adoption of the BiH budget, the question is whether BiH has already failed the first test because half a year has passed without a budget.
PREDRAG KOJOVIĆ, Our party
We are currently rejected for that help. Left to one area of consultation where they are still trying to find an acceptable dictionary. Unfortunately, what is being offered and what the representatives from the RS insist on, such as the establishment of a competition council, the State Aid Agency, are the foundations and Europe will not go beyond that.
JOHAN SATTLER, head of the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
I hope that today’s session of the Council of Ministers, which is being held in Mostar, will restart that dynamic with the adoption, first of all, of the budget in the Council of Ministers, which is the first step, then in the Presidency and PS Bih, and further tasks are also well known and clear.
Before we take on new tasks, we must admit that we haven’t done the old ones either. While we were waiting for the budget to be reconciled, we questioned the functioning of the entire judiciary. One of the reasons is that it was not possible for the newly appointed judges and prosecutors to take office due to the lack of money for the work of the Integrity Department in the HJPC. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina also checks the budget, in terms of money, BHRT writes.
