Press Releases
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 96th Session
03/29/2017
Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined, by the majority vote, individual proposal laws on Amendments and Supplements of the Law on Excises in Bosnia and Herzegovina; on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Payments to Single Treasury Account and Revenue Distribution; and on Amendments and Supplements of Law on Indirect Taxation System in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By adoption of these laws, additional 15 pfennigs will be secured from excises on oil and oil products for construction of highways and roads, which will enable the activation of already concluded loan agreements with the European Bank for reconstruction and development, Kuwaiti and OPEC Funds, in addition to the continuation of the MF arrangement.
Also a Proposal Law on Deposit Insurance in Banks of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted unanimously, after it was adopted by the Deposit Insurance Agency Steering Board, comprised of the Entity Finance Ministers and Governor of the Central Bank of BIH.
The adoption of the comprehensive Law is intended to improve financial stability and harmonise this piece of legislation with the relevant directives of the European Union. The new Law enables deponents’ protection during BIH banks transformation, and establishment of a deposit insurance fund in BIH.
A need for such law appeared due to the fact that new amendments and supplements would change more than 50 per cent law provisions.
A set proposal laws, by which the Council of Ministers fulfils its obligations from the Letter of Intent with the IMF, will be provided to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for consideration under an urgent procedure.
Also, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, the Council of Ministers took a decision on implementation of measures for reaching qualitative criteria and indicative goals agreed under the Letter of Intent according to an Extended Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Institutions.
Under the Letter of Intent, the BIH Institutions are obliged to enable setting funds aside for salaries and emoluments for 2017 in amount of KM 655 million.
The Council of Ministers of BIH committed not to change coefficients in the course of 2017 nor basics for salary accounting, or level of other emoluments to employees, but would apply the existing regulations on the basis of which the 2017 Budget of BIH Institutions and International Obligations of BIH was planned.
The Council of Ministers will report the IMF quarterly on the realisation of the decision.
TO MAKE COLLECTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE FEES MORE TRANSPARENT
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined and will send to the parliamentarian procedure a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Administrative Fees, with a correction made at the session, for the purpose of having more transparent administrative fees collection process, In accordance with the Reform Agenda.
The Amendments and Supplements of the Law define the existence of the Registry of non-taxable revenues in electronic form, and enable the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH to take a by-law so that the Registry may be published and maintained.
COOPERATION WITH DIASPORA
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH, Swiss Confederation, represented by the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs via Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation - represented by the Embassy of Switzerland in BIH - International Organisation for Migration, active through its Mission in BIH, and the Development Programme of United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Memorandum defines cooperation for the improvement of socio-economic situation for both men and women in BIH, as well as the improvement of their quality of life by way of stronger cooperation with Diaspora within the “Diaspora for Development” Programme, based on allocated donor funds, by the Swiss Government. The Project is a follow-up of cooperation of the Ministry for Huma Rights and Refuges of BIH and Swiss Government in the area of inclusion of emigration into development efforts in BIH.
The Project will contribute to reaching strategic aims - defined in the Reform Agenda - as well as the Strategic Framework, especially economic growth and job generation.
The Proposal Memorandum will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure.
BIH AND MACEDONIA FOR MUTUAL FACILITATION OF THEIR CITIZENS’ TRAVEL
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for negotiations on an Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Macedonia on conditions for travel by the two countries’ citizens.
The Agreement enables citizens of BIH and Macedonia a non-visa regime for up to 90 days in any six-month period of time, with valid travel documents or valid biometric personal ID card for crossing the border crossings for international traffic. Citizens of the two countries intending to stay longer than 90 days at the territory of one of the states need to regulate their stay according to the laws of the host state.
The Proposal Basic will be provided to the BIH Presidency of BIH, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs was proposed as the BIH signatory.
KM HALF MILLION SECURED FROM CURREN RESERVES FOR EYOF
The Council of Ministers fob IH will forward to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH Information of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury on distribution and use of current reserves funds for 2016 in total amount of KM 1,458,528.40.
Out of these funds, KM 598,938.00 relate to the approved funds available under decisions of the Council of Ministers of BIH; KM 369,590.40 relate to urgency use of current reserves under individual decisions by BIH Presidency members; and KM 500,00.00 is reserved for co-financing of the European Youth Olympic Festival, according to the 2016 decision of the Council of Ministers of BIH.
FACILITATED GETTING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS PROOVES FOR TRANSPORTERS
The Council of Ministers fob IH defined and will send to the parliamentarian procedure a Proposal Amendment to Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on International and Inter-Entity Road Transport, which indicates that the Ministry of Communications and Transport will collect, ex officio, excerpts from the criminal records for the purpose of proving transporters good standing.
This will make it easier to transporters to prove their good standing and will simultaneously harmonise the law with the valid criminal procedure laws of BIH Entities and the Brčko District of BIH, which specify that the competent bodies should collect data from criminal records.
CONSENT FOR VOTE BY CITIZENS OF SERBIA
The Council of Ministers of BIH granted its consent for organisation f vote by citizens of the Republic of Serbia at the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina on April 2, 2017 at the presidential elections in the Republic of Serbia. The vote will be conducted between 7.00 and 20.00 hrs in the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Sarajevo and at the General Consular Offices of the Republic of Serbia in Baja Luka and Mostar.
MEMBERS OF BIH COMPETITION COUNCIL APPOINTED
The Council of Ministers of BIH appointed, upon a proposal of the Committee for Job Vacancy Procedures, Stjepo Prajnić, Nebojša Popić and Amir Karalić for the members of the BIH Competition Council, as the best ranked candidates, following the job vacancy procedure.
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