During a weekend behind us, the public could watch numerous political clashes on the occasion of organizing the Pride Parade, and then the criticism and apologies after the naked performance in front of the National Theater in Sarajevo.
For some, the closure of a large number of streets in the center of the capital is controversial. For others, the parade itself is a problem. We have heard about God’s laws and personal priorities, all from officials who hold public office. After numerous public moral analyzes, interpretations of the constitution, laws, and emphasizing the famous “but”, information quietly passes under all radars that the state parliament and certain parties in that parliament do not care about the enormous rise in prices.
Currently, citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) pay between 3.41 and 3.70 BAM for a liter of gasoline, depending on the gas station, while a liter of diesel is more expensive and goes over 3.80 BAM. What can the state do? It can do what many countries have done, even those in the region, and that is to temporarily abolish excise taxes on fuel.
Such a proposal was adopted almost three and a half months ago in the House of Representatives of the state parliament but they have been silent ever since. The House of Peoples has refused to consider the proposal under the urgent procedure, and the proposal has been in the parliamentary drawers for months. Yesterday, an initiative was launched again in the House of Representatives, asking the House of Peoples to adopt the law, but the SNSD was against it. The party’s representative, Snjezana Novakovic-Bursac, asked for proof that fuel would be cheaper if the proposed law was adopted.
The initiative received a general majority vote of those present (20 deputies), but there was no entity majority because in addition to the SNSD, which voted against, there were six more abstentions.
Then Denis Zvizdic proposed that customs rates on fuel imports be suspended, which would make fuel cheaper for citizens, but that proposal was also rejected because there was no entity majority from Republika Srpska (RS).
And the state has money and the amount of taxes collected increased after the rise in prices. All the estimates of economists say that the state would not be financially damaged if it voted to temporarily abolish excise duties. Parties like the SNSD and HDZ are so stubborn that even in the pre-election period they do not want to provide citizens with at least minimally cheaper fuel.
Such an attitude towards the citizens shows that we have much bigger problems in the country than those that are imposed as problems and on which politicians spend their energy through mutual discussions and accusations, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
