Press Releases
Council of Ministers of BIH Holds Its Extraordinary Phone Session
12/02/2019
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal EUR 30 million Finance Contract (Water Supply Pipeline and Sewage in Republika Srpska II) between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The Project will contribute to improvement of living conditions for more than 126k citizens of Republika Srpska, and it will include the construction of infrastructure for water supply pipeline, waste water and stormy waters in the municipalities participating in the project.
The total value of the project is estimated at EUR 60 million, of which the EIB loan is worth EUR 30 million, while domestic contributions and other sources account for EUR 28.8 million, in addition to EUR 1.2 million grant funds.
The loan repayment term is 25 years, including a six-year grace period, with allocation to Republika Srpska.
The Project will be implemented in time period between 2020 and 2034.
The Proposal Contract with a platform for is conclusion will be provided to the BIH Presidency, and the Minister of Finance and Treasury was proposed for the BIH signatory.
STRONGER COOPERATION OF BIH AND MONTENEGRO AT JOINT BORDER-CROSSINGS
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Platform for negotiations and conclusion of an Annex to Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of Montenegro on implementation of border inspections at joint border crossings.
The reasons behind the conclusion of the Annex Agreement are the defining of joint border-crossings between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, improvement of joint border-crossing controls, including the road, auxiliary facilities, and other facilities necessary for joint border-crossings controls.
Under the Annex and according to the Agreement between BIH and Montenegro, defined were the sites of joint border-crossings as follows: Ščepan Polje – Hum u Šćepan Polju (MNE); Ilino Brdo -Klobuk in Klobuk (BIH); Vraćenovići -Deleuša in Vraćenovići (MNE); and Sitnica – Zupci in Zupci (BIH).
Also defined were zones of joint border-crossings at BIH and Montenegrin territories in which both counties’ authorised persons perform joint border controls. The parties-signatories will bear the costs of the joint border-crossings construction each at its territory.
The Proposal Platform will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure with a proposal for the Minister of Security of BIH as the BIH signatory thereof.
CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION OF BIH, CROATIA NAD MONTENEGRO
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Finance Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Commission amending a Finance Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Commission concerning “Interreg IPA cross-border cooperation of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro” for 2014-2020 (CCI2014TC1615CB004) within the instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II).
The Agreement Amendments include the implementation of Cooperation Programme and supplement rules on citizenship and origin for the public procurement procedures purposes.
The Programme aims to increase socio-economic growth in the programme area through interventions in health, welfare and environment protection areas, in addition to risk prevention and development of sustainable touristic and business environment.
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will provide the proposal Agreement to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and Director of the Directorate for European Integrations of BIH Edin Dilberović was proposed for the BIH signatory thereof.
TO INCREASE READINESS IN CASE OF SWINE FLU IN BALKANS
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted an initiative for conclusion of a project document on regional technical cooperation programme for a Project TCP/RER/3704 “Readiness to respond in case of African swine flu in the Balkans” between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The Project “Readiness to respond in case of African swine flu in the Balkans” pertains to urgent precaution measures against the African flu disease, worth USD 500,000 of donor funds, and it includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Republic North Macedonia, Montenegro and Republic of Serbia.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BIH will provide the proposal to the BIH Presidency for the further procedure.
BIH INSTITUTIONS DEVELOPMENT-INVESTMENT PROGRAMME TO 2022 ADOPTED
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a Public Investments/Development-Investment Programme of BIH Institutions for 2020-2022, to be posted at the Ministry of Finance and Treasury web site.
The Programme includes data on 277 projects of total value of KM 3 billion and 964.09 million, of which nearly KM 3.6 billion refers to investment to capital projects.
The total value of the projects directly contributing socio-economic development is more than KM 2.8 billion.
Currently 133 projects, worth KM 1 billion 209.07 million, are in the process of implementation, of which KM 995.48 refers to investment to capital projects, and KM 213.59 million refer to investments to institutional projects. For the realisation of the projects in implementation, total KM 537.47 million was spent by June 30, 2019.
CoM BIH AWARDED AZRA DEDIĆ BY KM 10k
Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH awarded Azra Dedić by money award in amount of KM 10,000 for gold medal won at the European Championship ID in judo, held in Köln (Germany) in category to 70 kg weight.
KM 100,000 AID TO ALBANIA
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision proposed by the Ministry of Security, to approve KM 100,000 from the current reserves of the BIH Institutions Budget for the purpose of providing international aid to the Government of the Republic of Albania.
BIH PARTICIPATION IN ERASMUS PROGRAMME: EDUCATION OF YOUTH
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Civil Affairs on participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Erasmus+ Programme in a part concerning education and youth, and took several conclusions for the aim of an active participation of BIH in this part of the European Union Programme.
Bosnia and Herzegovina takes an active part in education networks: European Qualification Framework (EQF), Education informative Network (Eurydice, implementation of the European Agenda for Adults Education (EAAL).
Also, BIH is active in projects offered by electronic platform eTwinnning – Internet portal for international cooperation and up-grading teaching and non-teaching personnel ranging from preschool to secondary school education, and European platform for adults education –EPALR- Data from June 2019 suggest that the number of registered members of eTwinning portal increased to 1.392, relative to end June 2018, when 1,096 users were registered. The number of registered schools increased from 421 to 472, and number of projects completed or on-going increased from 598 to 879.
According to Information, in 2018, applicants from BIH in eight high education projects drew EUR 2,950,674, and for five projects for youth, EUR 320,520 were drown.
TEMPORARY DECREASE OF CUSTOM TARIFFS: SUPPORT TO DOMESTIC ECONOMY
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations-proposed Decision on temporary suspension and temporary decrease of customs tariffs for import of certain goods until December 31, 2020.
The aim of the decision taking is to improve business-making for domestic producers, to maintain the existing ones and generate new jobs.
The goods included by the decision are materials and raw materials used by BIH producers in their own production for making final products for export or for substitution of imported products, not possible to purchase at the domestic market in quantities and qualities required for production of final products.
In respect to such decision from 2019, which covered 57 tariff signs, the list for 2020 covers 58 tariff signs.
BIH CUSTIMS TARIFFS HARMONSIED WITH EU COMBINED NOMENCLATURE
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations-proposed Decision on defining customs tariffs for year 2020, which was fully harmonised with the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union for year 2020.
This way, conditions are to be created for a more successful foreign trade operations between the economic entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and those in CEFTA countries-signatories, i.e. European Union countries.
In relation to the existing customs tariffs of BIH some harmonisations were made of BIH nomenclature, along with technical improvements of the decision itself. Also two new ex positions were open for copper beech export monitoring from the lower degree of processing to a final product, thereby endorsing a proposal of all Economic Chambers in BIH.
The Customs Tariff is to be adopted by het Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina at annual level, drafted by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and sent for adoption by December 5 each year.
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