Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 26th Session

The Council of Ministers of BIH, at today’s session considered over 70 items o agenda, and defined Proposal Amendments II to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to be submitted by the Ministry of Justice to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH, with a view at deleting a constitutional provision prohibiting cuts of reimbursements for appointed persons in BIH Institutions during their term of office. 

This amendment accommodates the current economic situation and helps, for the sake of securing macroeconomic stability in BIH, reduce total budgetary allocations for budget users’ salaries.

The BIH Constitution can be amended and supplemented by decisions of the Parliamentarian Assembly, which involves two thirds majority of present and voting members of the House of Representatives.

The Council of Ministers of BIH held discussion on the Draft Budget Law for BIH Institutions and International Obligations for 2013 and requested budget users to supply their remarks and suggestions in written form to the NMinistry of fiannce and treasury by the end of working hours on Tuesday, so that Ministers might vote on this Draft Budget by the end of the current week and provide it to the Presidency of BIH, which is responsible to propose the Budget Law.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defiend a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Administrative Fees, that the Minitry of Finance and Treasury will provide to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for consideration under the urgent procedure.

The Amendment define a possibility of freeing from visa payments for foreign citizens participating at sports, cultural and other events, under conditions of reciprocity, which has not been the case so far, as the regulations in force prescribed obligatory freeing from visa requirements, which is contrary to good diplomatic practice.

Freeing from visa payments will be implemented based on decision of the Council of Minsters upon proposal of a line Ministry or other administrative body of BIH.

The Supplement to the Law amends the customs tariff pertaining to documents and actions in the process of indirect taxation.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Court Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the Ministry of Justice will provide to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH with a view to create capacity and prerequisites enabling the Court Police a full and adequate execution of its operations.

The proposed Amendments and Supplements to the Law will comprehensively regulate the position, place and role of the BIH Court Police, assigning the Court Police commander an operative control of it.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined, by majority vote, and will forward to a Parliamentarian Procedure a Ministry of Justice’s Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on establishment of an institution for execution of criminal sanctions, detention and other measures of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Amendment Law defines that all operations for preparation and building of the Institution facility will be carried out by the Project Implementation Unit, an administrative organisation within the Ministry of Justice, and includes its Managing and Steering Boards. The introduction of the Project Implementation Unit into the Law will regulate the obligations undertaken under a Framework Financial Agreement and will increase accountability for the overall implementation of this project.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered and postposed for the next session voting on Proposal regulation on price of personal documents (personal ID documents and drivers’ licences), and tasked the Agency for Identification Documents, Evidence and Data Exchange to prepare and provide to the Council of Ministers a comprehensive analysis to include a comparative break down of prices and quality of similar documents in the region and EU, after which Ministers would reflect on this Regulation.

The purpose for the Council of Ministers of this exercise is for BIH citizens to get the highest quality documents for the lowest real price, provided that price correction will not apply to the existing documents until their expiry date.

The Regulation defines financial parameters of the system of personal ID documents in BIH to ensure sustainability for the next 10 years, while funds allocation would enable introduction of personal documents containing electronic memory card and together with drivers’ licences will be adjusted with highest standards of the EU in terms of security of personal documents.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Loan, Finance and Project Agreement   between the KfW, Frankfurt am Main (Lender) and Bosnia and Herzegovina, represented by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (Borrower), and Republika Srpska, represented by the Ministry of Finance of Republika Srpska, and Hydro Power Plant on Trebišnjica (Project Implementation Agency), in amount of EUR 10 million for reconstruction of the Hydro Power Plant Trebinje 1, Phase III, with basics for conclusion of the Agreement.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the Proposal Agreement to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Minister dr Nikola Špirić is proposed as the signatory.

It is EUR 6 million loan and EUR 4 million grant, with repayment term of 12 years with six month grace period. The project aims reconstruction of generator and turbines and will be carried out by the Hydro Power Plants on Trebišnjica and Project Implementation Agency.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Cooperation Contract between the Council of Ministers of BIH and International Financial Corporation (IFC), to be provided by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations  to the presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Minister Mirko Šarović is proposed as the signatory.

The Contract aims at reduction of administrative burden in business-making in BIH, ensuring effective simplification of administrative procedures concerning export/import operations in key export sectors and agriculture and increase of export of agricultural products, in addition to attraction of foreign investments by way of promotion of agricultural sector and investor service programme. The IFC will ensure KM 1,311,000.00 for this project.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement between Bosnia ND Herzegovina and Czech Republic on International Road Transport, with a report on conduced negotiations, which the Ministry of Communications and Transport will provide to the Presidency of BIH, while Minister Damir Hadžić is proposed as the signatory of the Agreement.

The Agreement is intended to promote mutually beneficial development of trade and economic relations and facilitate international road transport of passengers and cargo, between and in transit through BIH and Czeck republic, as well as road transport towards or from third countries.

Pursuant to the Agreement, a Joint Committee will be set-up to secure addressing the issues from this area.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined proposal basics for conclusion of a memorandum of Understanding on implementation of Dignified Labour Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2012-2015 between the Council of Ministers of BIH and International Labour Organisation, which the Ministry of Civil Affairs is to provide to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Minister Sredoje Nović is proposed for the BIH signatory.

This Programme defines priorities of capacity building of government institutions and social partners for improvement of labour market management, increasing of job opportunities and strengthening of social welfare system. Simultaneously, it would improve support from the International Labour Organisation for implementation of the Development Strategy and Social Inclusion Strategy in BIH, accompanied with support from other international organisations.

The Council of Ministers of BIH appointed BIH State Attorney Mlađen Mandić and Deputy BIH State Attorneys Mariofil Ljubić and Medina Vilić from the list of successful candidates at a job vacancy procedure.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations the Council of Ministers of BIH appointed Dragan Doko for Ombudsman for Consumers’ Protection in BIH for five year term, as the most successful candidate after completed job vacancy procedure.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to set up a State Committee for Border of BIH, consistently to the Law on Border Control, which calls for establishment of a body to proceed with demarcation operations and determining of state border in cooperation with competent bodies of neighbouring countries, and to finalise preparations for conclusion of international treaties on state border.

The Council of Ministers of BIH appointed Siniša Perković for Manager of the General Affairs Service of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Council of Ministers of BIH appointed Gordana Živković for President of the Competition Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the period of October 1, 2012 to September 20, 2013.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted and will provide to the Presidency of BIH  Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BIH on trilateral ministerial meeting (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia and European Union), with a proposal conclusions to be implemented by the Presidrncy of BIH and Council of Ministers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Directorate for European Integrations are tasked to keep the Council of Ministers of BIH informed regularly on their subsequent activities.

Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdžija, Croatia’s Foreign Minister dr Vesna Pusić and EU Commissioner for Enlargment and Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle, with their assistants held discussion in Bussles, on Sptember 19, on issued of border management, border crossings, border traffic and free transit from the Ploče Port and through Neum.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Grant Agreement of EC IPA Part I (Waste Waters Project in Sarajevo) between Bosnia and Herzgovina and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as administrator of the European Commission for EU IPA Trust Fund. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the proposal Agreement to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Minister Nikola Špirić is proposed for the BIH signatory.

The EUR 7,575,000.00 worth grant will fund the first phase of the facility rehabilitation, which includes the reconstruction of the existing purification facility in Butila and building of needed pre-treatment facility for waste waters.

The Project aims to improve living conditions of inhabitants in the areas of responsibility of the Public Company Water Supply and Sewage Sarajevo and down steam communities, as well as to create conditions for use, a large part of contaminated water form River Miljacka and River Bosna and to improve effectiveness of collection network for waste waters in the Sarajevo Canton.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees on preparation of a project with the Development Bank of the Council of Europe (CEB) and UNHCR to support the realisation of the project titled “Closing of Collective Centres and Alternative Accommodation through Ensuring Public Housing Solutions”.

The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees and Ministry of Finance and Treasury are in charge to finalise a relevant procedure required for the successful realisation of the project.

The implementation of this project would imply closing of at least 114 collective centres and finding proper accommodation for 7,247 internally displaced persons, living in collective centres.

Total cost assessment is EUR 87nmillion, of which EUR 60 million of loan funds, and EUR 27 million will be provided by local authorities.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and treasury, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on issuing state guarantees in form of a guarantee contract (relating to a Loan Contract for Banjaluka-Doboj Road, Project Phase I), between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

This way, BIH provides EUR 150 million worth guarantee plus related costs to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a Loan Contract concluded between the Public Company “Highways of Republiak Srpska”, Banjaluka and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The aim of the project is a construction of 37 kilometre long Doboj – Prnajvor section on Doboj – Banjaluka highway, including 23 kilometres of local roads.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered Information of the Ministry of Justice and concluded that the Protocol of the BIH Prosecutors’ Office and War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Serbia on cooperation in prosecution of perpetrators of criminal acts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide does not represent an act subject to ratification in the sense of conclusion and execution of international treaties.

The conclusion of the Protocol is consistent with the Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia on legal assistance in civil criminal matters, as well as with provisions of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in criminal matters.

This Protocol would improve considerably the legal assistance between Prosecutor’s offices of the two countries in detecting and processing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Communications and Transport in connection with rerun of the public procurement procedure for digital microwave links of public Radio-TV broadcasters of Bosnia and Herzegovina, digital links for connecting five information-technical centres into the digital links system and transmitters for covering Sarajevo, Mostar and Banjaluka by digital signal.

Due to the importance and specificity of procurement the relevant equipment and a fact that delay in dealing with appellations in this matter, jeopardises the implementation of the international obligation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of shifting from analogue to digital terrestrial radio diffusion, the BIH Appellation Office is ordered to take an effort to finalise evidence-based appellation procedures within 10 days from the receipt of claims, in compliance with the Law on Public Procurements in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its own Rules of Procedure.

Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Multilateral Agreement GE-0 in Geneva, in 2006, thus taking up the international commitment to fully close the analogue broadcasting signal in Bosnia and Herzegovina by year 2015.

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