Yesterday in Banja Luka, there was a session of the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska (NARS) where deputies discussed the Proposal for the work program of the NARS for 2023. The draft law on amendments to the Criminal Code and the proposal for decisions on the election of ministers in the Government were also on the agenda.
Report on the implementation of the law on fiscal responsibility
The NARS considered the report on the implementation of the Law on Fiscal Responsibility for the year 2022, according to which the total debt of the RS is at the level of 44.64 percent of the achieved gross domestic product (GDP), which is in accordance with the limitations prescribed by the Law on Borrowing, Debt, and Guarantees.
President of the Fiscal Council of RS, Milenko Krajisnik, said that the jurisdiction of this council is clearly prescribed by laws, while the implementation of sanctions is done by the budget inspection.
Krajisnik pointed out that the RS will not go bankrupt, as well as that the budget is liquid and pays all budget obligations, which was also included in the report for 2022.
“If we have clearly said that it is necessary to cover current expenses exclusively from realized incomes, what can be said more clearly,” Krajisnik stated in the NARS.
He added that borrowing is acceptable for productive investments, as well as that there are problems when it comes to local communities.
“We propose to supplement the set of rules, as Serbia has done, and we have made a comprehensive analysis that is available on the website of the Fiscal Council,” Krajisnik added.
The NARS on the report of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) for 2022
“The Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor of the HJPC of BiH initiated 41 disciplinary proceedings last year, mostly against judges – 32, and responsibility was established in 33 proceedings,” said Zeljka Fabic, a member of the HJPC of BiH, presenting the report of this council for 2022.
She stated that 840 complaints were submitted to this office last year, most of which related to the duration of court and prosecutorial proceedings.
In the past year, the HJPC’s emphasis was on the efficiency of the work of judicial institutions.
The NARS discussed the Annual Report of the HJPC of BiH for the year 2022. Previously, the notice on some phenomena of interest for the realization of constitutionality and legality was considered.
The head of the SNSD Deputies’ Caucus, Igor Zunic, called on the deputies to unite on the issue of the Constitutional Court of BiH.
Independent deputy Radislav Doncic said that he would not support the conclusions on the agenda item Notification of some phenomena of interest for the realization of constitutionality and legality.
The President of the NARS, Nenad Stevandic, said that the correctness and expertise of Zlatko Knezevic, who was recently dismissed from the position of judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH, was never questioned and that it was proven that he suffered from pressure from the judges of that court.
SNSD delegate Srdjan Mazalica stated that the RS was discriminated against in terms of participation in the Dayton Agreement and the Constitutional Court of BiH.
The President of the Constitutional Court of RS Dzerard Selman said that the latest decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH violates the constitutional principles on which the organization of BiH and RS rests.
It should be recalled that the NARS considered the Draft Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code of RS two days ago, which introduces criminal offenses against honor and reputation, namely defamation, disclosure of personal and family circumstances, and public exposure to humiliation.
The Minister of Justice of RS, Milos Bukejlovic, said that the adoption of this Draft Law went through a comprehensive procedure from the draft law, public hearings, and acceptance of constructive proposals. The delegates also considered the Draft Law on Electronic Money, the aim of which is to regulate the operation and development of the electronic money market, and the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on State Apartments for which Tenant Rights do not exist, which expands the circle of persons to whom local self-government units can assign these apartments.
The Parliament also considered the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Agricultural Cooperatives, and the proposed changes enable natural and legal persons who are not members of the cooperative to still invest funds, which achieves better cooperation and business linkages in the food production sector.
Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of the RS Sasa Lalic pointed out that 99 cooperatives are currently active, 16 are in the process of starting business activities, and a total of 373 are registered in the register.
Lalic expressed the hope that the issue of cooperative property will be resolved, as well as that large funds will be allocated for agriculture.
Deputies also considered the annual report of the HJPC of BiH for 2022, the reports of the Fiscal Council of the RS for 2022, as well as the report of the Banking Agency of the RS for last year, and the reports of the Securities Commission for 2022.
E.Dz.
