The proposal for the draft budget of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026 did not receive the necessary support at the session of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is why it will be returned to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for revision. According to unofficial information, Željka Cvijanović voted for the proposed budget, Željko Komšić was against, while Denis Bećirović abstained.
Given that the proposal did not receive the necessary support, the budget document is now being returned to the BiH Council of Ministers, which adopted it two weeks ago, for possible corrections and re-referral to the procedure.
The budget is planned at 1.58 billion BAM
The proposed document planned total expenditures in the amount of about 1.58 billion convertible marks, including the financing of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the servicing of the state’s international obligations. After the session, the Minister of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Srđan Amidžić, spoke, confirming that the budget had not been adopted.
Amidžić stated that he understands the serious financial problems faced by BHRT, but pointed out that similar challenges occur in other public companies and institutions throughout the country.
“I am aware of the difficult financial situation in BHRT, but there are also other companies and institutions that are in a very complex position, such as the Zenica Ironworks or the Waterworks in Banja Luka,” said Amidžić. The Minister of Finance emphasized that the business issues of public companies cannot be directly linked to the budget of BiH institutions.
According to him, the budget of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina primarily serves to finance state institutions and fulfill the international obligations that BiH has towards its partners and creditors.
Speaking about the reasons why the budget did not receive support, Amidžić assessed that political factors played a significant role in the entire process. He also criticized the earlier delays in the work of the BiH Fiscal Council, stating that the postponement of the sessions of that body made it difficult to adopt the global fiscal framework, which is the basis for creating the budget at the state level.
Warning due to the delay in the digitization of the customs system
Amidžić warned that failure to adopt the budget could have consequences for the implementation of certain important projects. As an example, he cited the introduction of the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), which should modernize customs procedures and speed up the flow of goods across the border crossings of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to him, Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the final stages of implementing this system, and any delays could slow down the digitization process.
“Digitalization would enable faster passage of goods and reduce the waiting time of carriers at borders, which is of great importance for the economy,” said Amidžić.
Disagreements about the financing of BHRT
According to the information that appeared after the session, one of the reasons why the budget did not receive the necessary support could be the issue of BHRT financing. Allegedly, Bećirović believed that the proposed budget does not foresee enough funds for the public service of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been facing serious financial difficulties for a long time.
Although the official explanation of the vote has not yet been published, the issue of stable financing of BHRT in recent months has been one of the topics on which there are different views among political actors at the state level.
After the draft budget has been returned to the BiH Council of Ministers, it is expected that additional consultations and possible changes to the document will follow before it is again presented to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
