During the year 2023, price growth was recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina in almost all fields – from food, drinks, clothing, housing, furniture, to healthcare and education. The prices of petroleum products varied. While the standard of living of citizens is drastically decreasing and poverty is gaining momentum, concrete government measures have been absent, the citizens agree.
“From milk, bread, meat, everything has gone to nothing, so that the pension cannot even cover it until the 15th. My children help me, if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t even be able to pay for the apartment, rent, utilities. Everything is gone,” said one of citizens describes 2023 in economic terms, and data from the BiH Statistics Agency confirm this.
While incomes are stagnating and prices are rising, citizens are unanimous that the authorities’ measures remain only on paper.
On average, a citizen has to spend 1.40 BAM to 1.80 BAM for bread. The prices of bakery products do not change even when it was expected, according to the Consumers’ Association.
JOVAN VASILIĆ, Consumer Association “Zvono” Bijeljina
“When there was a reduction in fuel prices or flour prices like now, the prices of bakery products remained the same.”
While neighboring countries make decisions on limiting bread prices, in Bosnia and Herzegovina everything remains at the level of proposals. Even increases in pensions at a time of rising costs did not improve the standard of pensioners. There is also an increase in real estate prices and rents in 2023.
BELMINA TURSUNOVIĆ, student from Brčko District
“My rent, which I share with my roommate, is 400 marks. However, during the crisis, corona, everything that happened to us, many landlords raised the rent. I was lucky that mine remained the same amount.”
However, many were not so lucky, so they have to pay up to 600 marks for the rent. To make the situation even more difficult, there was information about the threatened supply of electricity for the next year, and the limitation of price increases for commercial enterprises up to 20 percent.
SUAD EĆO, President of the Board of the Association of Employers of Canton Sarajevo
“Anything above 20 percent, we enter into a big difficulty with uncertainty, above all our business, our work.”
The Federal Association of Employers warns that this measure will also go “over the backs of citizens”, as new product price increases may follow.
Creation of a better business environment, protection of workers, stabilization of the budget, protection of vulnerable citizens, improvement of the health care system, citizens heard about all this during 2023, and there was almost no progress. Instead, they witnessed irrational spending, bragging, and political infighting. Almost nothing has been done to amortize the effects of inflation, while politicians are getting richer and citizens are getting poorer.
