Council of Ministers of BIH Holds ITs 160 Session

CONTINUED SUPPORT OT CULTURE AND SPORTS UN BIH 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took separate decisions,, upon a proposal by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. On granting funds from the current account for year 2018, as follows: KM 390.000 for “International Cultural Cooperation”; 117.000 for “Support to Technical Culture and Innovations in Bosnia and Herzegovina”; KM 1.352.000 for “Co-Financing of Sports events”; and KM 440.000 for “Programmes for preparation of projects and potential project candidates for funds from H2020 Fund for 2018”.

 

SUPPORT OT FAIR EVENTS IN BIH

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on selection of fairs and other events and activities in country and abroad, and on the amounts of allocated grant funds for the purpose of promotion of domestic production in 2018, and granted its consent to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BIH to take the subject resolution.

Under the decision, total KM 400k classified in range of KM four to 75 thousand, support 28 fair and other events in Bosnia and Hezregovina, like fairs in Banja Luka,, Biejljina, Bratunac, the Brčko District, Čitluk, Goražde, Gradačac, Kozarska DUbica, Modriča, Mostar, Rogatica, Sarajevo, tešanj, Zenica, Žepče etc.

The Ministry of Foreign trade and Economic Relations of BIH and Ministry of Finance ann Treasury of BIH are tasked to realise the decision as soon as possible.

 

PUBLIC INVESTMENT PROGRAMME ADOPTED

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a 2019-2021 Programme of Public Investments/Development-Investment Programme of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a support to the Council of Ministers and Institutions of BIH for planning investment and taking as high quality and possible investment decisions.

The Programme developed by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH, represents a planning instrument, enabling a better use of budget funds and gives high quality access to foreign sources of financing. Also, the Programme serves as a basis for drafting the BIH Institutions’ capital expenditures, which includes a review of capital projects to be realised in the coming planning time span.

The 2019-2021 Programme contains data on total 268 projects, worth KM one billion and 956.23 million, of which Km one billion and 263.00 million refer to investment to capital projects, and KM 3345.40 million is for investment to institutional projects. The value of the projects directly contributing to socio-economic development and which were classified to the Development-Investment Programme is KM 879.91, while the value of other projects is KM one billion and 76.32 million.

 

INFORMATION ON MIGRANTS

 

The Council of Ministers considered and adopted Information on situation in the area of migrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina concerning an increased inflow of migrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Foreigners’ Affairs Service, got registered from Jan.1 to Nov, 29 this year 23.058 illegal migrants, of which 21,759 declared their intention to apply for asylum, while them 1,356  applied for it. Most of migrants came from Pakistan (7.644), Iran (3.583), Syria (2.852), Afghanistan (2.760), Iraq (2.077), and Libya. The Ministry of Security , in cooperation with reponsbile isntitutions and agencies takes all measures in accordance with the Action Paln of urgent measures and in compliance with relevant conclusions of the Council of Ministers of BIH.SIPA, DKPI and Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpksa staff still extend their support ot the BIH Border Police  in border surveillance, and the ex-Bira company facilities, including ex-students accommodation facilities “Borići” in Bihać, are being refurbished to serve as accommodation centres for migrants.

The strengthening of the border, and up-grading the Foreigners’ Affairs Service and Migration Department, in addition to realisation of Readmission Agreements, and strengthening of capacities for asylum and combating smuggling of migrants remain the priorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

ACCEPTING BIH CITIZENS BASED ON READMISSION AGREEMENT

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a report on readmission and integration of BIH citizens returning to Bosnia and Herzegovina based on a Readmission Agreement for the time period of January 1- December 31, 2017.

During the reported period of time, based on readmission agreements, 1.485 individuals were returned. As to the social structure, these predominantly individuals from the most vulnerable social categories. For them 966 place of birth is not known nor the place of their last residence. In two cases it was about parentless children, while five persons were accommodated in the Mostar rehabilitation centre.

The Council of Minsters of BIH tasked the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH to develop and up-grade the coordination system among stakeholder institutions and organisations, and report progress on the exercise periodically to the Council of Ministers and Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH.

 

GDP GROWTH TRENT MAINTAINED

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina maintained its GDP growth trend in 2017 of 3% for three years in row, reads a Development Report for last year, reported to the Council of Ministers.

These and other main economic indices prove of stable macro-economic position with positive prospects in the following mid-term period of time.

According to a 2017 Labour Pool, BIH had 816.000 employed persons, which is an increase for 15.000 relative to the year before. The number of employees was 211.0000, unemployment rate was 20.5 % in 2017, compared with 25.4 % in 2016. The Report stresses that the mayor problem is with the high unemployment rate with the youth, who cannot find the first employment, and that a special attention should be taken to increase employment rate through multidisciplinary approach.

The report suggests that single economic space within the country was not set-up, which represents one of obstacles towards integration to the European and global markets and improvement of the BIH competition position. It was said that the business environment is still burdened by various administrative obstacles at different authority levels. It was warned at problems in the area of heath care and primary education, macro-economic environment and technological readiness.

The future priority measures should be focused at improvement of quality of public finances, and solving the issue of non-existent single economic space through harmonisation and coordination of industry and SMEs policies: To increase competitiveness recommended was additional promotion, advancement and development of tourism. The report emphasises a need for introduction of policies in the areas of education, adoption of missing strategic documents in the agriculture sector, as well as in the combating corruption.

 

AGREEMENT ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH ALBANIA

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined at proposal Agreement on Economic Cooperation between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania with a report on negotiations for its conclusion.

The aims of the Agreement are to strengthen economic cooperation, develop economic ties, contribute to economies development, enable a joint operation at the third markets, and to incite cooperation among entrepreneurs. In the realisation of these aims, the two governments will promote the institutional cooperation, encourage and improve exchange of economy-related information, support contacts between businessmen and investment activities, and promote international level cooperation on issues of shared interest.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BIH should provide the Proposal Agreement to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, with a proposal for the Minister of Foreign Trade and economic Relations as the BIH signatory.

 

EBRD ANNUAL CONVENTION IN SARAJEVO NEXT YEAR

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision to approve KM 300,000.00 to the Ministry of foreign Trade and Economic Relations from the current budget reserves for 2018 for the needs of financing the organisation of the annual convention of the European Bank for Reconstruction and development (EBRD), to be held in Sarajevo, on May 7-8, 2019. Securing the remaining financial needs in amount of 2,000,000.00 will be arranged subsequently. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BIH, along with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, is charged for the realisation of the decision.

 

FINALISATION OF DEVELOPEMNT OF AGENCY FOR TRAINIGN AND PROFESSIONAL UP-GRADING

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on Amendments and Supplements to the Decision on Funds Approval for the end of project of construction and furbishing of facility for the Agency for Employees Training and Professional Up-Grading.

Under the Decision, funds in amount of KM 3,991,754, from general operations budget, were approved for accommodation of the Agency for time period 2016—2019. The Agency for Employees Training and Professional Up-Grading and Ministry of Finance and Treasury are in charge for the implementation of the decision, and the Agency is due to report the funds spending to the Council of Ministers.

 

PROACTIVE TRANSPARENCY POLICY AND STANDARDS ADOPTED

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office- proposed Proactive Transparency Polices and Standards, and tasked all institutions under the Council of Ministers of BIH to up-date their respective documents and web sites-posted information regularly.

The purpose of the proactive transparency policy in the public administration is to define standards of proactive announcement of information of the Council of Ministers institutions for the aim of their transparency. The proactive transparency standards cover a set of 38 types of information to be published. There were classified in six categories, namely: budget, operative, organisational, strategic documents, public procurement information, and freedom of access to information.

The proactive announcement of information is of public importance, because they directly contribute to realisation of good governance concept in Bosnia and Herzegovina, restore confidence of public into the work of public institutions, and enables more information to citizens for realisation of their right to get informed on work of the public administration.

 

ANNEX CONGTRACT WITH US EMBASSY

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information on a Proposal Annex to Lease Contract with the embassy of the United States of America in Sarajevo, and granted its consent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina to conclude the Annex to the Lease Contract.

The Annex Contract enables the US Embassy, lessee, to make certain civil construction works at the previous Embassy building in order to make it suitable for the residence of Ambassador.

The Contract was signed on May 17, 1994 for 50 years, with a possibility of prolongation for two further 50-year periods, totalling 150 years,

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