FBIH ENTITY PARLIAMENT APPROVED BUDGET REBALANCE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 20,2007) – The FBIH Entity’s House of Peoples had a session in Sarajevo, which lasted for 18 hours.The FBIH Entity Budget Rebalance has been approved. The Budget Rebalance was proposed by The FBIH entity government.

Because of the public sector increase, budget has also been increased per 150 million Bosnian Marks and has mounted to the current 1.586.018.529 Bosnian Marks.

The The FBIH entity government stated that the following priorities have been taken into consideration during the development of budget rebalance: protection of citizens in social sector and protection of the veterans’ rights. In that sense, the non-war caused invalidity sector’s fund has increased per 74 million Bosnian Marks and the disabled veterans’ sector has increased per 24 million Bosnian Marks.

Demobilized veterans of war are dissatisfied with the budget rebalance, Muhamed Sisic, President of the Demobilized War Veterans’ Association stated. He announced mass protests of veterans in The FBIH entity if the missing 40 million Bosnian Marks is not ensured.

The FBIHeEntity government responded that the budget rebalance ensured additional 10 million Bosnian Marks to meet the legal obligation of providing funds for the needs of retirement of this population. The 40 million Bosnian Marks is supposed to be provided by the cantons. Sisic, however, stated that the cantons will not have enough money to pay for the payment of these benefits until the end of the year.

Apart from the budget rebalance, the The FBIH Entity House of Peoples adopted by the majority of votes Bill on Control of Privatization in The FBIH entity.

The opponents stated that the Bill does not foresee the revision of privatization, but rather a control in the sense that the privatization agreements are implemented. This has been enabled by the past regulations in the sector.

Unlike the Bill on Privatization Control, the delegates approved the Bill Changing and Amending the Law on Work, foreseeing a greater jurisdiction of the work inspections and a better coordination between the cantonal and entity inspectors.Bill on Financing the FBIH Entity Political Parties was rejected.