Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 23rdSession

FIRST SEMESTER SEES IMPORT AND EXPORT INCREASES AND TRADE DEFICIT DECREASE 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted an Analysis of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on Foreign Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first six months of 2015, which indicates that the trade deficit was reduced for 5.24 per cent, relative to the same period last year, when it stood at KM 3.26 billion.

According to the Analysis, the total volume of the foreign exchange in the reported period was KM 12.02 billion, which is for KM 189.6 million or 1.6 per cent higher than last year in the same period. Total imported good valued KM 7.6 billion or 0.06 per cent higher than last year, and simultaneously total export reached KM 4.38 billion, as increased for 4-.4 per cent relative to last year’s first six months.

The coverage of import by export was 57.35 per cent, or 22.38 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

The European Union is still the main foreign trade partner to BIH, and in the total volume it participates for 64.9 per cent, and is followed by “CEFA 2006” countries with 13.3 per cent, and other countries with 21.8 per cent.

The first six months of this year, BIH exported mostly to Germany, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Austria, Slovenia, Turkey, Montenegro, Hungary, and Romania. The export to these countries made 76.6 per cent of total export.

The most of import was made from Germany, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, China, Russia. Slovenia. Turkey, Austria and USA. The import form these countries account for 72.258 per cent in total volume.

The export growth most contributing products in the first half of the year were beef – fresh or frozen, isolated wire, cables, other isolated electric conductors, coke and semi coke form stone coal, dark coal and peat, retort carbon, wire rod, iron and non-alloyed steel wire rod, and iron or non-alloyed steel bars.

 

KM 575,000.00 FROM BUDGET RESERVES FOR NATIONAL MUSEUM

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH, upon a proposal of the Ministry for Civil Affairs, took a Decision to approve KM 575.000,000 from the current reserves of the Budget of BIH Institutions and International Obligations of BIH  for the cultural institution – National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These funds are intended for making up for salaries and benefits to the National Museum employees by the end of the budget year.

The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is obliged to report the funds spending to the State Ministries of Civil Affairs and Finance and Treasury.

 

CoM of BIH ON REFUGEE ACEPPTANCE-RELATED ACTIVITIES

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of a report from September 10meeting of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH with representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office of BIH, Intelligence-Security Agency, State Investigations and Protection Agency, Border Police, Foreigners’ Affairs Service, Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies, Indirect Taxation Administration, Entity Ministries of Interior, concerning the securityaspect of possible refugee crisis and arrival of refugees to BIH territory.

The Ministry of Security is tasked to prepare an act setting the Coordination Board for Migration Issues as the competent operative HQ for migration issues. When in session,The Coordination Board will include Entity levelheads of staffs. Competences and responsibilities of the HQ will be regulated by a separate act which, upon a Ministry of Security initiated act, to be adopted by the Council of Ministers of BIH.

The Ministry of Security, i.e. Foreigners’ Affairs Service, is tasked to analyse and, as appropriate,urgently propose for adoption by the Council ofMinistersanimprovement of regulations and procedures for admittance of refugees, in order to organise timely technical and administrative responsibilities of competent services and institutions for an adequate refugee registration.

The Ministry of Defence of BIH is tasked to make an urgent identification of non- perspective military facilities, based on both a prospective request of the of the Ministry of Security of BIH, as well as the expected number and length of stay of refugees in BIH, as these facilities might be put in function of refugee accommodation.  The BIH-level HQ will cooperate with Entity staffs to define and realise measures of temporary taking over of facilities – military barracks for refugee accommodation.

The Ministry for Human Rightsand Refugees is tasked to cooperate with it international humanitarian agencies in order to make all necessary preparations and report to the Council of Ministers of BIH on available capacities, in terms of accommodation, food, and all care for migrants, and to propose solutions for realising this obligation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will monitor and regularly report to the Council of Ministers of BIH of  EU positions concerning the migrant crisis and the related situation in the Western Balkans countries, with a focus to BIH, concerning possible tasks, expectations and plans.

 

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS INFORMED OF STRUCTURAL DIALOGUE

 

Minister of Justice of BIH Josip Grubeša informed orally the Council of Ministers of BIH of a meeting within the EU-BIH Structural Dialogue on Judiciary, attended by State and Entity Ministers of Justice and President of the Judicial Committee of the Brčko District of BIH.

The Council of Ministers reiterated its support to the judiciary reform and continuation of the discussions within the Structural Dialogue.

The Council of Ministers welcomed the announced disbursement of the second tranche form IPA II founds to finance prosecutors’ salaries.

The session concluded that no obligations for the Council of Ministers of BIH stem form the signed-to Protocol.

The Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of the Council of Ministers should propose experts, as members of the BIH delegation, which would point at the relevance in the judiciary area  in judiciary reforms-related discussions.

 

TO AMEND BASICS FOR CONCLUSION OF AGREEMENTS ON DELEGATING REPONSIBILITIES FOR AIR NAVIGAITON

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information of the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BIH on a procedure conducted for conclusion of an Agreement on Delegating Responsibilities for Service Provision in Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Navigation.

The Council of Ministers invalidated its conclusion form the 114^th session of the Council of Ministers of December 8, 2014, 9on adoption of a report on negotiations and defining of a Proposal Agreement on Delegation of Air Navigation Services between the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Government of Montenegro, and Council of Ministers of BIH, as well as a Proposal Agreement on Delegation of Responsibilities for Air Navigation Services between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Council of Minsters of BIH, accompanies by  a proposal for then Minister of Communications and Transport to act as BIH signatory thereof.

The Ministry of Communications and Transport is tasked to complement the report and provide it to the BIH Presidency for decision-making on invalidating a Decision of the Presidency of BIH, from its 2^nd session of January 22, 2015, on accepting the Agreement of Delegating of Responsibilities for Air Navigation Services between the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Government of Montenegro and Council of Ministers of BIH, as well as the Agreement on Delegating Responsibilities for Air Navigation Services between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Council of Ministers of BIH and selecting the signatory. The Ministry of Communications and Transport of BIH is tasked to propose urgently a draft basics for negotiations in the part pertaining to Article 11 of the Agreements, which were the subject of negotiations, and to propose a new negotiating delegation, so as to arrange the continuation of talks with Governments of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, in accordance with Official Minutes from the negotiations held.

In talks with delegations of the neighbouring state, certain open issues appeared, among which the most notable was about the civic responsibility for service provision in the air space of Bosnia and Herzegovina, indemnity for damage in case of liability and court competence in damage indemnification. The report indicates that the then head of BIH Delegation concluded the negotiations self-willingly, thus violating the Law on Conclusion and Execution of International Treaties.

 

EUR SEVEN MILLION STATE GUARANTEE FOR PROEJDOR CENTRAL HEATING PROJECT

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision, proposed by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, on issuing a state guarantee under a Loan Contract for the Central Heating Project in Prijedor concluded between the “Central Heating”, Jsc. Prijedor and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in an amount of EUR 7,000,000 with the Republika Srpska subsidiary guarantee.

The Project will enable Prijedor central heating facility and citizens to have improved energy efficacy and sustainability of city central heating, by construction of a new central heating boiler facility on biomass, to use locally available biomass instead of oil fuel.  The project realisation would decrease the fuel expenses from current KM 5.5 million to around KM 2.1 million. The Project is expected to be finalised by year 2017.

 

TO IMPROVE RESCUE SYSETM OF PEOPLE AND MATERIAL GOODS

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted Information of the Ministry of Defence on “Dynamic Response 15-6” exercise.

The Council of Ministers calls upon all-level authorities in BIH to start organisational, procedural and other improvements to the rescue system of people and material goods, so that the Ministry of Defence might as effective as possible fulfil its legal obligations of support to civil authorities in BIH.

The Council of Ministers tasked the Ministry of Security to change the composition of the Coordination Body for protection and rescue of people and material goods from natural and other catastrophes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, taking regard of personnel changes in institutions the representatives of which comprise the Coordination Body.

 

BUSINESS FORUM OF BIH, SERBIA AND TURKEY THIS YEAR IN SARAJEVO

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a report of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations from a trilateral meeting on trade cooperation among Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Serbia and Turkey, held in Ankara on August 18, 2015, and tasked the Ministry to coordinate and monitor realisation of activities on organisation of a business forum in Sarajevo by the end of 2015, as agreed at the meeting, devoted to strengthening of mutual trade and economic relations and promotion of stability and development in the region, in line with the European regional cooperation policy.

The aim of the forum would be to establish contacts between relevant organisations/institutions of the three countries and identify the most important areas whereof joint activities.

 

WORK GROUP FOR ADJUSTMENT TO FATF RECOMEMNDATIONS

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, to set-up a work group, to assess the level of harmonisation of regulations and practice of the Indirect Taxation Administration of BIH and other BIH institutions concerning money and money instruments cross border transfer, with relevant recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The work group will propose measures to the Council of Ministers of BIH within 90 days deadline for removal of deficiencies, and thereby a relevant conclusion of the Council of Ministers of BIH form its 85^th session will be implemented.

The work group includes representatives of the State Ministries of Finance and Treasury and Security, Border Police of BIH, Indirect Taxation Administration, State Investigations and Protection Agency and competent Entity Ministries and bodies of Brčko District.

 

KM 200,000 FOR FAIRS PROMOTING DOMESTIC PRODUCTION

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH granted its consent to a Decision of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations on selection of fair and other similar events in the country and the amount of allocated grant funds for promotion of domestic production in 2015.

Under the Decision, funds in total amount of KM 200,000.00 from budget current grants item of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will be distributed to 17 fair events in BIH, with a purpose of promotion of domestic production.

 

REGULATIONS AMENDMETNS

 

Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, the Council of Ministers of BIH took a Regulation on Amendments and Supplements to Regulation on procurement and use of official vehicles in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Regulation on Amendments and Supplements to Regulation on use of phones, and Regulation on Amendments and Supplements to Regulation on entertainment costs.

The Presidency of BIH is exempted from the application of new regulations, as it will take its own regulations for the procurement and use of official cars, phones and for entertainment costs, with prior consent of the Council of Ministers of BIH.

 

CoM REALSIES 84 % CONCLUSIONS IN FIRST SIX MONTHS

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH realised 84 % of conclusions taken in the first six months fo 2015, i.e. Ministers and competent agencies realised 234 of total adopted 279 conclusions, while 45 remained unrealised, indicates a Review of analysed conclusions, prepared by het Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers of BIH, considered at the session.

Ministers and other institutions not fully implementing conclusions of the Council of Ministers should implement them without further delay and should accelerate their activities on those conclusions, the realisation of which requires longer period of time or cross-institutional cooperation.

 

JOB VACANCY FOR MANAGER OF AGENCY FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked the Minister of Civil Affairs to repeat the public announcement of vacant position for selection of Manager of the Agency for Labour and Employment of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

The Council of Ministers of BIH, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, granted its consent for organisation of voting by citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on October 25, 2015 at national referendum on possibility for on-line vote at elections or a referendum. Bulgarian citizens staying in BIH may vote on October 25 this year at the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sarajevo.

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