Council of Ministers Holds Its 12th Session

At today’s session in Sarajevo, the Council of Ministers of BIH considered and adopted a Report of on Budget Execution of BIH Institutions and International Obligations of BIH for January – March 2012. 

Total realised revenues for financing of BIH Institutions in the first quarter this year were KM 190,740,904 or 93 per cent of  ¼ last year’s planned revenues.  Total realised expenditures of BIH Institutions in this quarter amounted to KM 194,454,658 KM or 95 per cent based on ¼ of 2011 Budget, without special purpose funds, i.e. 67 per cent in relation to corrected Budget that included additional special purpose funds. The foreign debt servicing expenditures in the first quarter 2012 amounted to KM 51,338,611.31.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined, by majority vote, and will forward to the Parliamentarian procedure a Proposal Law on Free Legal Assistance, under which a Committee for Free Legal Assistance is to be established, so that every citizen would be secured an effective and equal access to justice in court proceedings and before other administrative and other institutions.

The right to free legal assistance, according to the Proposal Law, is for beneficiaries of social assistance, children without parent custody, beneficiaries of lowest pensions who do not have family members, victims of domestic violence based on gender, asylum seekers, persons under subsidiary and temporary protection, stateless persons, human trafficking victims, and persons of poor financial condition, as regulated by competent authorities.

The Council of Ministers of BIJH defined a Proposal Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Financing of BIH Institutions, which will be forwarded by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for adoption under urgent procedure.

This Law regulates foreign debt servicing procedure, especially during the temporary financing regime, and it clearly segregates the temporary financing of BIH Institutions and foreign debt servicing, and provides that the Council of Ministers of BIH should take decision on temporary financing, which has not been the rule thus far, although it has been a practice.

The Law on Amendment and Supplement to the Law provides for a possibility for the Council of Ministers of BIH to take decision, during the temporary financing, on use of additional, un- budgeted, funds from previous year.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered and adopted Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the events during the stay of a “delegation” of Institutions of BIH in the Islamic Republic of Iran in Teheran, and condemned the actions of participants of the so-called BIH “delegation” that breached the established procedures applicable for official visits to foreign countries.

In regard to that it was concluded that:

The Agency for Civil Service of BIH and Ministry of Justice of BIH will prepare an analysis of launched and implemented disciplinary measures over the last year, and provide it to the Council of Ministers of BIH, so that a process of a meaningful and durable solving of this problem might be launched.

The Ministry of Justice needs to prepare an urgent amendment of disciplinary procedure and enable imposition of disciplinary measures against civil servants and employees by institution managers, including disciplinary measures for gross violation of working duties.

In addition, an analysis is proposed to be made of Disciplinary Committee operations (competence of the Agency for Civil Service) , in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice in order to arrive at a more effective legal and procedural elements for sanctioning disciplinary offences.

Under the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Salaries, an introduction of a “variable part of salary” would bring an incentive for a more effective and productive work of diligent staff, while punishing inactivity in the state institutions (competence of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury).

Also, the Law is to regulate an obligation of acceptance of sending of the Foreign Ministry staff to a foreign destination, as an assignment of national relevance, and not a will of individual, so the rejection of such assignment would be sanctioned (competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Council of Ministers of BIH took individual decisions on criteria for co-financing of the “2012 support to technical culture and innovation project” , for co-financing of cultural projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012, for co-financing of “International cooperation in Culture” Project in 2012.

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on criteria for deployment of a current grant funds for “co-financing of sports events” in 2012, and in regard to that a decision was taken to allocate KM 100,000.00 from the grant to the BIH Olympic Committee.

Upon a proposal of the Ministry for Human rights and Refugees, the Council of Ministers took a Decision to approve KM 100,000.00 from the 2012 current Budget reserves to the Organisation Committee for Marking the Anniversary of Pershing in Srebrenica.

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on sponsorship of the International Convention for Peace, to be held in Sarajevo on September 9-11, 2012.  Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH Damir Ljubić is appointed as President of the Organisation Committee, and he will designate other Committee members.

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision on level of holiday pay for 2012 for employees in BIH Institutions with pay coefficient 4.00 in amount of KM 300 and for employees with pay coefficient over 4 in amount of KM 1,00.

The Council of Ministers defined a proposal of basics for negotiations and conclusion of an Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of Monte Negro and Government of the Republic of Serbia on establishment and operation of a Joint Police Cooperation Centre, and tasked the Ministry of Security of BIH to provide the proposal to the BIH Presidency for further procedure.

The conclusion of such Agreement would contribute to further development and fostering of police cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Monte Negro and the Republic of Serbia in fight against threats to public security and order, particularly in form of cross border crime and illegal migrations.

The joint Police Cooperation centre will be located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Municipality of Trebinje, in the area of the South-Čapljina Border Police Field Office.

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined individual proposal basics for negotiations and conclusion of extradition contracts between Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Serbia, Republic of Croatia, Monte Negro and Republic of Macedonia.

The Ministry of Justice will provide these three proposal basics to the Presidency of BIH for further procedure, and Minister of Justice Bariša Čolak is proposed as the signatory.

The conclusion of these extradition contracts between BIH and Serbia, and between BIH and Monte Negro will enable the extradition of own citizens for the purpose of punishment-corrective procedures or serving the criminal sanctions for acts of organised crime and corruption.

The Extradition Contract between BIH and Croatia defines a possibility of extradition of own citizens for the purpose of punishment-corrective procedures or serving the criminal sanctions for acts of organised crime and corruption.

The conclusion of the Extradition Contract between BIH and the Republic of Macedonia will enable the extradition of own citizens for the purpose of punishment-corrective procedures or serving the criminal sanctions for acts of organised crime and corruption, including other forms of organised crime, for which both signatory countries’ legal systems provide for at least four year prison sanctions.

The contracts do not call for the extradition of own citizens for criminal acts of war crimes and other acts against humanity and international humanitarian law, nor to acts committed before the conclusion of these contracts.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered and adopted Information on the expiry of term of office to Chairman and members of the Appeals Office.

The Council of Ministers tasked the Ministry of Justice to start a procedure for publishing a job competition for selection of four members of the Appeals Office, whose term of office expired.

The Ministry of Justice is tasked to start the procedure of amending and supplementing the Law on Public Procurement in relation to the term of office and performance of Chairman and members of the Appeals Office.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible to provide these conclusions to the House of Representatives of the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered a report on the status of agriculture in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011.

The Report reviews and assesses the status in the sector of agriculture, food and rural development, including sector policy measures undertaken in 2011, and proposal measures for agriculture sector in 2012.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered and adopted an Analysis of Foreign Trade Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina for January – March 2012. It was concluded that the Analysis should be provided to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH, and that the Council of Ministers of BIH should be provided with a comprehensive foreign trade exchange analysis for the first half of 2012, to be accompanied by proposal measures.

This paper presents, among others, basic information on exchange of goods in BIH for the first quarter of 2012, with a focus on the exchange with the Republic of Croatia and Republic of Serbia, respectively. It includes data on exchange of agricultural products and all key information of on BIH foreign trade exchange in terms of volume and structure.

In the first quarter of 2012, goods worth KM 3.41 billion is imported to BIH, which is 0.2% higher compared with the same period last year. Also, total export amounted KM 1.76 million, and it represents a drop for 10.62% relative to the same period in 2011. So, the trade deficit amounts to KM 1.64 billion, or 15.16% more than in the same period last year.

The coverage of import by export in the first quarter of 2012 amounted 51.76%, which is 67% lees compared with the same period last year.

By geographic structure, the European Union is still the major foreign trade partner of BIH, with 51.81% share, followed by countries signatories of “CEFTA 2006“, with 25.41% share, while 22.47% accounts for foreign exchange with other countries in total foreign exchange value.

The Council of Ministers of BIH considered a Review of disbursed cash reimbursements to committees, managing and supervisory and other boards and other working bodies under the competence of BIH Institutions for the period of January 1 – November 2, 2011.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury is in charge to propose adequate measures and conclusion in order to reduce expenditures for these purposes.

In the course of 2011, total KM 2,001,020.38 was paid to committees, managing and supervisory boards and other boards and working bodies of BIH Institutions.

The Council of Ministers of BIH if informed of the review of ethnic structure of managing staff in Ministries of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other institutions and bodies under the competence of the Council of Ministers of BIH.

Out of total 331 managing positions in BIH Institutions, 139 (41.99%) are occupied by Bosniaks, 104 ( 31.42%) are occupied by Serbs, and 83(25.8%) are occupied by Croats, others occupy 4(1.21%), and non-declared occupy 1 position (0.30%).

The Council of Ministers recommended to all institutions of the Council of Ministers of BIH to take due care of ethnic structure on hiring managing staff. It was agreed that the Review should be up-dated and provided to the Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH for information.

A working conclusion is adopted to prepare a review of ethnic structure of all employees in the Ministries of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other institutions and bodies under the competence of Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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