Council of Ministers of BIH Holds Its 106th Session

SINGLE TREASURY ACCOUNT FUNDS DISTRIBUTED TO POPULATION HIT BY FLOODS 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to distribute financial resources secured from the Budget of the BIH Institutions and International obligations of BIH for year 2014, in addition to funds collected at special purpose accounts under the Single Treasury Account system for aiding population from the areas hit by floods in May 2014.

The funds collected thus far in amount of KM 10,163,377.40 will be distributed in ratio of 49 per cent each to the Federation of BIH and Republika Srpska, while two per cent will go to the Brčko District of BIH.

All finances to be collected at special purpose accounts under the Single Treasury Account will, be distributed in agreed-to ratios, compliant with the decision.

Repblika Srpska, the Federation of BIH and Brčko District of BIH are obliged to earmark these funds to Cantons and Municipalities in line with damage and needs assessments, presented a the Intentional Donor Conference in Brussels, and to report on spending thereof to the Council of Ministers of BIH.

Regarding the conclusions made at 51^st regular session of the Presidency of BIH, relating to  the implementation of funds committed at the Donor Conference for recovery and reconstruction of areas affected by natural disaster in Bosnia and Herzegovina , the Council of Ministers  supports the principle of a transparent, accountable and effective implementation of donor finances, so and all stakeholders in the reconstruction and recovery process  will be required an absolute compliance to these principles.

An Inter-Sector Work Group of the Council of Ministers, in charge to develop criteria for distribution of aid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is called upon to take additional efforts so as to finalise the drafting of criteria, and the holder of the activity is the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees.

Also, all responsible Entity and Cantonal and Brčko District institutions are urged to immediately prepare short, medium and long term plans and projects of recovery and reconstruction to be financed by these funds.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury is responsible to undertake needed activities and speed-up procedures for conclusion of financial, loan and other contracts with other states, international organisations and international financial institutions, pursuant to the Law on conclusion and execution of international treaties and Law on borrowing, debt and guarantees of BIH, since they are required for the implementation the collected donor finances.

State-level Ministries of Communications and Transport and of Finance and Treasury are tasked to undertake activities, in cooperation with competent Entity Ministries, in order to accelerate the realisation of the EBRD loan and create possibilities for a reallocation of relevant funds.

 

INTER-SECTOR WORK GROUP ESTABLISHED

For the purposes of realisation of conclusions of the 51^st BIH Presidency  session, referring to sailing into the waters of Neum, it was concluded that an inter-sector work group should be formed to be comprised of one representatives from each: the Office of Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Security; Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations: Ministry of Defence; and Ministry of Communications and Transport, as the Work Group leader, in addition to a  representative of the Neum Municipality.

Its task would be to develop, within a 90-day deadline, a comprehensive analyse of the effects of sailing of boats into the Neum aquatorium, taking care of the ecologic, economic, foreign affairs, security and defence considerations of the issue, and such analyse should serve as a basis for permissions for sailing into Neum waters.

 

CIVIL SOCIETY INVOLVED IN AID DISTRIBUTION

The Council of Ministers of BIH endorsed a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to include representatives of the civil society into the inter-sector group, tasked to prepare proposal criteria for distribution of all forms of assistance in BIH.

The rationale for inclusion of civil society representatives is to create a credible and transparent aid distribution system to flooded areas, which is in line with the principles of “Partnership for Open Governance”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible to make an arrangement of  civil society representatives’ inclusion into this inter-sector work group, and report it to the Council of Ministers’ next session.

 

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO REFLECT ON SIPA MANAGER ISSUE AFTER COMPETENT INSTITUTIONS PRESENT THEIR OPINIONS

The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of Information of the Ministry of Ssecurity on activities against an order from the BIH Chief Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation against the Manager of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).

The Council of Ministers also took note of Information of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) on actions of the BIH Chief Prosecutor’s Office and Ministry of Security in connection with taking away of the right to access to classified data from the Manager of the State Investigation and Protection Agency.

The Council of Ministers of BIH will reflect on the issue after receiving a relevant  opinion from  the competent institution, i.e. Independent Committee of the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH will provide its conclusion to eth Independent Committee of the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

 

€ 2.5 MILLION GRANT

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Agreement on grant under IPA 2010 State Programme for BIH, Part II – Water Supply and Sanitation in RS, between BIH and the European Investment Bank, with basics for its conclusion.

The €2.5 million worth grant is a financial contribution to the Water Supply and Waste Waters Treatment Project implemented in 24 municipalities in Republika Srpska.

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

 

 

ACCESSION TO CoE POMPIDOU GROUP

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Basics for accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Group for cooperation in combating misuse of narcotics and illicit trade in narcotics – Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, with an aim to contribute to development of multidisciplinary, concrete and science-based policy of fight against narcotics in its member countries.

BIH joins member-countries of the region- in the Pompidou Group, which links the European Union member-countries with other European countries in forging cooperation in this sector, especially in the Mediterranean region (Morocco and Israel).

The Ministry of Security will provide the Proposal basics to the BIH Presidency for further procedure.

 

US$ 35 MILLION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF BUSIENSS ENVIROMENT

The Council of Ministers of BIH endorsed an Initiative of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, and designated a delegation for negotiations on a Loan Agreement (Development Policy Operation for Business Environment) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The aim of the Project is to support reform policies targeting improvement of business environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The US$ 50 million loan, of which the Federation receives US$ 30 million and Republika Srpska US$ 20 million, is of 30 term, including 10-year grace period.

 

EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, the Council of Ministers od BIH took a decision on defining justifiable reasons of humanitarian nature for an extension of temporary stay to citizens of the Syrian Arab Republic, due to  unfavourable security situation and a life-threatening state  in that country.

Under the decision, the extension of the temporary stay for humanitarian reasons may be granted upon personal request by a person concerned, for up to one year, to the Foreigners’ Affairs Service of BIH, responsible for the relevant procedure.

 

 

MEDIEVAL TOMB STONES NOMINATION PROJECT

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to approve KM 64,600,000 from current reserves of the Budget of Institutions of BIH and International obligations of BIH for 2014 for the medieval tomb stones nomination project for inclusion into the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has two cultural goods included into the World Heritage List, and the inclusion of the medieval tomb stones would represent the first cultural good nominated by several states.

In their Letter of Intent of 2009, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Serbia, and Republic of Montenegro agreed the project of the medieval tomb stones nomination for the World Heritage List. There are 22 necropolis from BIH, included into the tentative list, and now the process of their inclusion into the World Heritage List is being finalised.

 

OWNERSHIP STATUS OVER MAUSOLEUM IN OLOMOUC

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on solving the ownership status over the Mausoleum in Olomouc, Czech Republic, and granted its consent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairis – BIH Embassy in the Czech Republic to provide a response on behalf of BIH to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic of a content identical to that in the letter provided by the Republic of Slovenia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina thus agrees for the City of Olomouc to take over the title over the Mausoleum devoted to the deceased soldiers in WWI  in the territory of the Czech Republic, and to reconstruct this significant object and thereby recover the dignity to soldiers buried there. BIH jointed Slovenian request to post a memorial plaque at the Mausoleum with an inscription of tribute to the fallen soldiers of South Slav origin, and for the successor countries of ex-SFRY to regularly summon to take part at the commemorative activities.

 

ORGNAISED CRIME RISK ASSESSMENT 

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, the Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a document “Organised crime threat assessment in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, a comprehensive analysis of the state of affairs in this area, with recommendations for more effective combating against organised crime in BIH.

 

APPOINTMENT

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Justice, the Council of Ministers of BIH appointed Željka Klobučar from among renowned experts from the Federation of BIH for a member of the BIH Appeals Office.

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