Since 2008, the Entity Bureau has not calculated or published data on how much money a family in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) needs to survive a month. Even though the consumer basket has been retained in the statistical reports of neighboring countries, including the Republika Srpska (RS)entity, it has not been determined in the FBiH for years.
In essence, it was necessary to hide, at least in the official statistics, the shame of how the majority of citizens in FBiH live. However, until we receive the official report, it will be necessary, as announced in recent days, to form a working group, make a methodology for calculating the price of the consumer basket…
On the other hand, the amount of the consumer basket is calculated by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (SSS) of BiH, which published data that in December 2021 the minimum costs of a family of four amounted to 2.265 BAM and were 75.37 BAM higher than in November.
At the same time, the average salary in FBiH is 999 BAM, so it is clear that even families with two employees barely survive in FBiH.
The President of SSSBiH Selvedin Satorovic said that since March 2019 they have been regularly publishing data on the minimum cost of living and that the FBiH Government had nothing against it until mid-2020 when it became clear that prices, especially food and hygiene products, are constantly rising and that more and more citizens are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. The accusations that the data is being “cut” from the Government began to arrive after the request that the minimum wage in FBiH is 1.000 BAM.
Strange formula
The SSSBiH expects that according to “some strange formulas”, the data on the “Government Consumer Basket” will show significantly lower amounts.
”They will try to convince us that we eat too much, that we are throwing money away, and that we need as much money for life as they determine for us,” Satorovic pointed out.
Focus on food
When it comes to the consumer price index, with which salaries and pensions in the country should be adjusted, Cenic mentionedthat in the United Kingdom (UK) the prices of 180.000 products are monitored per month, in the United States (U.S). and the European Union (EU) 80.000 products, and the representative products are in a special category. We focus on 617 items, mostly food.
E.Dz.
Source: Avaz
