Unlike state coffers, which are getting fuller, the situation for citizens is not rosy at all, because everything indicates that their pockets are getting empty.
With these words, consumer protection fighters and trade unionists compare the everyday life of “ordinary mortals” on the one hand and the income of institutions that deal with tax collection on the other.
A few days ago, that is, on Thursday, the Indirect Taxation Administration (ITA) of BiH boasted that for the first time in its history it had collected more than one billion BAM in a month, more precisely in July they got one billion and 73 million BAM, which is 122 million more compared to July 2023.
The very next day, the Tax Administration of Republika Srpska(RS) announced that in seven months of this year, it collected 2.373 billion BAM of public revenue, that is, 288 million BAM, i.e. 14 percent more compared to the same period in 2023.
Murisa Maric, executive director of the Citizens’ Association DON Prijedor, points out that state has the most benefit from tax collection, not the citizens. That’s how it will happen this time, she adds.
“The more taxes there are, the better it is for all those in power to distribute them more easily, and there is absolutely no increase in pensions or wages, so the citizens have the least benefit from all of this. We need to feed the powerful administration we have, and that is why the tax collection is not for the benefit of the citizens,” says Maric.
Dragana Vrabicic, president of the Trade Union of Construction and Housing and Utilities of the RS, says that the attitude of the trade unionists is that the citizens are getting poorer. She explained how it looks in practice, using the example of her industry.
“The average salary in construction is about 1,100 BAM, which is only about 200 BAM more than the lowest salary. But that average salary includes salaries from managers and owners, up to those who have the minimum wage. It is very low and does not even cover 45 percent trade union consumer basket, so workers in the construction sector continue to live on the bare minimum and there are no indications that this will be fixed in the coming period,” Vrabicic told.
She also points out that citizens’ wallets are getting empty.
“Citizens are getting poorer despite filling the budget. They are getting more and more in debt and taking out loans in order to survive,” said Vrabicic, Akta writes.
E.Dz.
