For more than a year, digital COVID certificates have been an indispensable document and ticket required for all events across Europe and the world. Our country has never become part of that system. Thus, our certificates are not recognized anywhere outside Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
The reason for that is not the lack of databases and certificates made according to the European standard, but the fact that there was no agreement between the 13 ministries on the development of a single document for all citizens of BiH.
Alen Seranic, Minister of Health of the smaller entity, explained to the media: “Health data related to this whole process must be within the competence and remain within the health institutions that prepare and produce them, which is in accordance with the laws in both the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS).”
This time, the representatives of RS agree with FBiH and Brcko District that our country, like any other in the world, must have one national COVID certificate.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs must find a technical solution so that the databases remain in the cantons, entities, and Brcko District.
“According to the information, the cantons are mostly prepared for that. To recall, the agreement that would be signed – will depend on that solution. Conditions have been created, they need to be finalized and then a technical solution needs to be found,” noted Goran Cerkez, Assistant Federal Minister of Health.
According to the good old practice in BiH – it took two months only for the authorities to gather at one table.
Sead Sadic, head of the Brcko District health department, concluded: “Until we agree – a good part of European countries, unfortunately, decide to put these certificates out of force.”
E.Dz.
Source: Radio Sarajevo
