The Prime Minister of Canton Sarajevo (CS), Nihad Uk, announced yesterday that young people who successfully applied for the housing subsidy program will not receive the additional funds that had previously been approved by the CS Assembly earlier this year.
Young applicants initially received 4.800 BAM after passing the competition, and they were hoping to receive an additional 5.200 BAM during the year to bring the total amount to 10.000 BAM.
However, Uk stated yesterday that this will not happen.
“At the end of last year, the CS government disbursed the full amount available at the time, which was just under 5.000 BAM. This year, we entered with dissatisfied beneficiaries of the program. An initiative was passed in one of the assemblies to find a way to pay out the additional amount that these beneficiaries were expecting. At this moment, there are no financial resources for this, nor is there a legal basis,” Uk explained.
When asked whether the young people who passed the program can expect the additional payout, Uk responded:
“There are no expectations at this time that the payment will be made.”
He was also asked why the workshop for individuals with developmental disabilities had been closed and why the space would be given to a non-governmental organization (NGO).
“There is no longer a legal basis, and all these years while the occupational therapy workshop was functioning in Mjedenica, it was technically illegal under the Ministry of Education. The individuals involved are 25, 35, or 45 years old, and legally they cannot continue receiving approval through the ministry as they have up to now. Until we find a systemic solution, the CS Government has decided to transfer this responsibility to a specialized NGO. We will use the coming months to find a systemic solution. Also, some of the therapy users are not from CS. To overcome these hurdles, it would be best to continue providing support through an NGO,” Uk clarified.
He added that there are technical reasons why the workshop is currently closed.
“It’s not school; it’s a break from work. The participants spend their time there in a meaningful way. This is just a temporary pause, and they will continue attending in the coming days,” he said.
Uk also mentioned that the two employees who have been working with these individuals will be reassigned to the Mjedenica Institute and will not be laid off.
“The association that will provide these services will find qualified employees with the necessary expertise. The quality of services must not decline. The current delay is purely administrative,” Uk concluded, Klix.ba writes.
