The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 123rd Session

NATIONAL ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAMME ADOTPED 

The Council of Ministers of BIH, upon a proposal of the Directorate for Economic Planning, adopted a National Economic Reform Programme (NERP) for year 2015, which will be submitted to the European Commission by the Directorate for European integrations, and this would represent a significant step forward in the EU integrations process of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This year’s programme, the first one to be submitted to the European Commission, represents an extended version of the previous candidate countries’ Economic and Fiscal Programme (EEP). This 116 page comprehensive document presents key economic indicators in 2015 with comparison thereof with the 2014 indicators, in addition to 2016/2017 projections.

According to the NERP, the real growth is expected to take place in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the rate of 3.4 per cent, with a slight decrease of foreign exchange deficit of 1.1 per cent. Also a gradual decrease of foreign exchange deficit is expected over 2016 and 2017, as a result of fostering exports demand, along with a gradual strengthening of competitiveness of BIH exports. Gradual recovery of neighbourhood economies in the period concerned should secure further incentive to growth of BIH exports and domestic demand, to produce eventually 4.1 growth rate in 2016 and 4.4 in 2017, respectively. Positive changes at BIH labour market made during 2014 are expected to make effects visible in 2015, when an increase of employment is anticipated at the rate of 1.3 per cent, with decrease of number of unemployed and nominal growth of salaries of 1.8 per cent rate at annual level.

 

DECISISONS ON ACCOMODATION OF BIH ISNTITUTIONS IN TUZLA, BANJA LUKA AND EAST SARJEVO TO TARGET ENW BUDGET SAVINGS

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision, upon a proposal of the General Affairs Service of BIH Institutions, on distribution of office space in the BIH Institutions building in Tuzla – 360.43 square meters surface building at 36 Maršala Tita Street - for accommodation of the Institute for Missing Persons, Anti-Doping Control Agency, Foreigners’ Affairs Service, Mine Action Centre of BIH, and General Affairs Service.

The Council of Ministers also took a decision on distribution of office space in the 407 square meter surface BIH Institutions building in East Sarajevo for accommodation of the Market Supervision Agency and Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Fight against Corruption, at 26 Dabrobosanska Street.

A decision was taken on distribution of office space in a 722 square meter surface building in Banja Luka, at 13 Akademika Jovana Surutke Street for accommodation of the foreign Investment Promotion Agency, Institute for Intellectual Property, Phyitosanitary Administration, Institution of Ombudsman for Human Rights and High Education and Quality insurance Agency.

 

SALARY POLICY BY YEAR 2018

The Council of Ministers of BIH noted that the Ministry of Finance and Treasury prepared a Proposal Decision on Salary and Emoluments Policy in the BIH Institutions for 2015-2018.

Since the salary and emoluments policy is tied to election period, this document will be considered by new Council of Ministers of BIH.

 

DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM AND POVERTY REDUCTION

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for acceptance of an Agreement on Establishment of International ST-EP Organisation (Poverty Elimination through Sustainable Tourism).

The aim of the notion is to incite development of tourism and promotion of socially, economically and environmentally sustainable activities contributing to poverty and inequality elimination though concrete projects focused at implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will provide the Proposal Basics to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations was proposed as the BIH signatory.

 

TO CONTINUE PARP RELATED ACTIVITIES

The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the structure of responses to a PARP questionnaire in 2014, and tasked competent State-level Ministries and Committee for NATO Integrations Process of BIH to continue implementing activities planned within the PARP process, according to Programme-defined schedules.

Through the Planning and Revision Process (PARP), Bosnia and Herzegovina continues its interactive cooperation with NATO, particularly on the grounds that the PARP is used as one among major mechanisms for management and assessment of defence and military reforms progress. Participation in the PARP of a partner-country is, among other things, a precondition for MAP accession.

 

BIH PARTICIPATES IN SIX CROSS-BORDER PROGRAMMES

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a report of the Directorate for European Integrations on progress of programme implementation under the IPA Second Component – Cross-Border Cooperation in 2014.

The report indicates at Bosnia and Herzegovina takes part in six programmes under the IPA Second Component – Cross-Border Cooperation in 2014, and these are three bilateral cooperation programmes with Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro, IPA Adriatic Programme of Cross-Border Cooperation, and two transnational Programmes .- Southeast Europe and Mediterranean.

Over the EU budget period 2014-2020, six territorial cooperation programmes are available for Bosnia and Herzegovina within new Instrument of Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II), namely, two bilateral, with Serbia and Montenegro, respectively, and one trilateral -  Croatia-BIH-Montenegro - in addition to three transnational programmes: Danube, Adriatic-Ionian and Mediterranean Programmes.

 

ACTION PLAN ADOPTED FOR DRAFTING QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK TO 2020

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to adopt an Action Plan, prepared by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, for drafting and implementation of qualification framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina by 2020, which is a major step forward in the process of implementation of one of European Partnership priorities.

The Action Plan covers over 65 activities to be implemented by relevant institutions in the process of drafting and implementation of qualification framework in BIH, based on the European Qualification Formwork for Whole-Life Learning.

 

REPORT CONSISDERATION POSTPONED

The Council of Ministers of BIH postponed for the next session consideration of information of the Competitiveness Council, prepared based on a report on abuse of office allegations, filled with the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Fight against Corruption in BIH, in relation to a member of the Competition Council.

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