Council of Ministers of BIH Holds Its 1st Session

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision, proposed by the Indirect Taxation Administration, on Amendments and Supplements to the Decision approving Multi-Year Bratunac – Ljubovija Border Crossing Construction Project, the value of which was amended from the original amount of KM 11,000,000 to KM 14,500,000. 

In the first variant of the Draft Project from year 2017, the border crossing was proposed to be an international border-crossing for passenger traffic and for goods transport not subject to inspection checks.

Under a 2018 Agreement between the Council of Ministers and Government of Serbia on border-crossings, the Bratunac – Ljubovija border-crossing was categorised as the border-crossing for international road traffic of passengers and of imported, exported and transported goods of all kinds not subject to inspection controls.

The additional funds of KM 3,500,000, together with earlier secured amount of KM 11,000,000, would be sufficient for the construction of the border-crossing Bratunac – Ljubovija, as proposed within the project prise of total KM 14,500,000.

Also. The Council of Ministers considered and adopted Information on the Svilaj border-crossing Construction Project.

In regard to that, the Indirect Taxation Administration was tasked to:

-          Start a procedure for the construction of the Sviaj – Donji Svilaj border-crossing, in compliance with an international treaty within the approved resources for the multi-year project and granted EU and EIB funds;

-          Propose to the Council of Ministers a decision on an increase of value of the multi-year project of Svilaj – Donji Svijal border-crossing construction for KM 7,000,000, as estimated amount of required resources for the Project completion.

 

DECISION ON TEMPORARY FINANCING

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Finance and Treasury-proposed Decision on Temporary Financing of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for January – March 2020, in amount of KM 241,500,000.

This represents one fourth of the approved finances for the BIH Institutions, in accordance with the Law on Budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina Institutions and International Obligations of BIH for year 2019.

The funding of multi-year projects, adopted within previous years’ budgets, as well as special purposes programmes, will be continued from the resources transferred in compliance with the Law on Financing of BIH Institutions, i.e. secured special purpose grants.

 

EUR 140 MIL. NEW ROAD SECTION CONSTRUCTION ON CORRIDOR V c

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH defined a Proposal Financial Contract (Corridor V c – central part: construction of motorway Poprikuše – Nemila and Tarčin – Ivan sections) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Investment Bank (EIB), worth EUR 140 million.

Thus activities are being started for the construction of a new 2km long route linking two unlinked Corridor V c sections  Poprikuše – Nemila and Tarčin  - Ivan.

The loan was allocated to the Federation of BIH, with 25 repayment term, including 5-year grace period.

The Project total value will be EUR 294 million, within which the remaining EUR 154 million will be secured from own resources, EBRD and VBIF grants.

The Construction of the Corridor V c has a multiply significance for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is the first international communication running through its territory, linked to the modern international traffic network. It also enables a high quality exit through the Ploče Port in Croatia to the Adriatic Sea, and to the North it opens an access to the Central and North-East Europe.

More than 50% of BIH citizens reside on the Corridor V c zone, and they realise about 60% GDP. The development of the Motorway will provide an efficient linking of Bosnia and Herzegovina territory with the neighbouring countries and regions, yielding stabilising and developing effects for the country.

The Proposal Contract with a Platform for its conclusion will be provided to the BIH Presidency, and the Minister of Finance and Treasury was proposed for the BIH signatory.

 

BOARDS FOR INTERNAL POLICY AND ECONOMY FORMED

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took separate decisions on appointing Chairman, Deputy Chairman and members of the Internal Policy Board and Economy Board under the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the end of implementation of the Law on Council of Ministers and creation of conditions for its effective work.

The composition of the Internal Policy Board is the following: Sifet Podžić, Defence Minister (Chairman); Josip Grubeša, Justice Minister (Deputy Chairman); and members: Fahrudin Radončić, Minister of Security; Ankica Gudeljević, Minister of Civil Affairs; Edin Dilberović, Director of the Directorate for European Integrations; and Džemail Ćibo, Director of the BIH Council of Ministers Legislative Office. The Board members without right to vote are: Robert Vidović, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers; and Miroslav Gavrić, Brčko District of BIH Coordinator in the Council of Ministers of BIH and Advisor to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH.

 

The composition of the Council of Ministers of BIH Economy Board is the following: Vjekoslav Bevanda, Minister of Finance and Treasury and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH (Chairman); Staša Košarec, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations (Deputy Chairman); and members: Bisera Turković, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Vojin Mitorvić, Minister of Communications and Transport; Edin Dilberović, Director of the Directorate for European Integrations; and Džemail Ćibo, Director of the Council of Ministers Legislative Office. The members of the Board without right to vote are Robert Vidović, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers,; and Miroslav Gavrić, Brčko District of BIH Coordinator in the Council of Ministers and BIH and Advisor to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH.

 

DESIGNATED BIH REPRESENTATIVES WITH IFIs

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH designated Bosnia and Herzegovina’s representatives with the international financial institutions: the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

-          World Bank Governor is Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bisera Turković, and Deputy Governor is Jelka Miličević, Minister of Finance of the Federation of BIH.

-          International Monetary Fund Governor is Chairman of the Council of Ministers Zoran Tegeltija, and Deputy Governor is Hazim Rančić, Deputy Minister of Finance and Treasury of BIH.

-          European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Governor is Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH and Minister of Finance and Treasury Vjekoslav Bevanda, and Deputy Governor is Zora Vidović, Minister of Finance of Republika Srpska.

 

The Council of Ministers took Decision on reallocation of the Budget funds from the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees budget to the Fund for Return budget in amount of KM 2,021,000.

The funds are intended for the projects realisation within Dayton Peace Agreement Annex 7.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on Amendments and Supplements to the Decision on multi-year project of helicopter procurement for the Ministry of Defence of BIH and Armed Forces of BIH.

The funds in amount of KM 1,375,800 will be secured by restructuring of the 2019 Budget funds.

 

TRANSPARENCY OF COUNCIL FO MINISTERS ACTIVITIES

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH decided to make the Council of Ministers sessions open to the public, for the aim of improved informing of the public and increased transparency.

The Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers of BIH should propose to the Council of Ministers of BIH, within 60 days from the adoption of this conclusion, a technical solution to enable the Council of Ministers of BIH sessions to be open to the public via the e-government system in the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The technical solution should imply necessary financial costs and time framework required for the realisation of such notion.

The Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina was tasked to present to the Council of Ministers of BIH a detailed analysis of the way the governments in the region work to increase transparency of their activities and improve communication with the public, accompanied with proposal concrete activities to meet the above objectives.

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