Press Releases
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 89thSession
01/25/2017
Vijeće ministara Bosne i Hercegovine
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted an Economic Reforms Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ERP) for 2017-2019, which is an all-comprehensive plan of structural reforms to be implemented by BIH authorities for the goal of improvement of economic growth, competitiveness, preserving of fiscal and monetary stability, with continued restrictive fiscal policy and austerity measures in place within institutions.
This year’s EPR contains 18 priority structural reforms, half of which to be jointly implemented by the Entities and State, i.e. Entities jointly, which, as a result of a better coordination in the drafting process, proves a considerable progress in respect to earlier programmes.
The Economic Reforms Programme is the output of a joint exercise by representatives from Ministries of the Council of Ministers of BIH, Central Bank of BIH, coordinators designated on behalf of the Government of the Federation of BIH and Government of Republika Srpska, representatives from Entity Ministries and Directorate for Economic Planning and Cooperation with the European Commission and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
BIH-SERBIA: CITIZENS IN BORDER AREAS TO BE FACILITATED BORDER-CROSSING
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina defined Proposal Basics for Negotiations on an Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia on cross-border traffic, under which the citizens residing in the border area would be facilitated crossing the joint border.
The establishment of a border area-specific regime would enable citizens, residing up to 10 kilometres in depth of territory from the state border, to cross the border only with a border pass, by which move, too, the two states try to foster their mutual relations.
The Proposal Basics will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Security was proposed for the BIH signatory.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND GGOVERNMENT OF CROATIA STEP-UP PROCEDURES FOR RAILWAY TRAFFIC
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for negotiations on an Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Croatia on defining a border procedure for railway border-crossings Šamac-Slavonski Šamac and Čapljina-Metković, at the Mediterranean Corridor (Corridor V c).
The Agreement, among other things, would set forth principles to accelerate and simplify border traffic procedures for railway border-crossings Šamac-Slavonski Šamac and Čapljina-Metković, which will reduce the time of trains stopping at the border-crossings.
The Proposal Basics will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Communications and Transport was proposed for the BIH signatory.
NEW AGREEMENT BETWEEN CoMBIH AND AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT ON INTERNATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined Proposal Basics for negotiations on an Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Republic of Austria on international road transport of passengers and cargo.
The Agreement regulates the issues of international transport of passengers and goods between the two states and transit across their territory, as well as transport of passengers and goods between the territory of one of the contracting state and a third country by vehicles registered at the territory of the other contracting state.
The Agreement will replace three international road transport agreements between BIH and Austria, concluded in 1995, which needed to be harmonised with new standards.
The Proposal Agreement will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further procedure, and the Minister of Communications and Transport was proposed for the BIH signatory.
USD 80 MIL. TO ENTITIES FOR PUBLIC FINANCES REFORMS
The Council of Ministers of BIH endorsed an Initiative of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury for negotiations on a USD 80 million Loan Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Public Finances Development Policy.
The loan will be allocated to the Entities; USD 48 million to the Federation of BIH and USD 32 million to Republika Srpska.
The loan for the public finances development policy will support public financial reforms by way of transparency strengthening and reduction of fiscal burden.
This will be an IBRD flexible loan, the terms and conditions of which enable the borrower to set the repayment term up to 35 years and grace period up to 19 years.
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will, after the completion of negotiations, provide a Draft Loan Agreement to the Council of Ministers of BIH.
STOP TO MISUSES IN TARIFF QUOTAS DISTRIBUTION
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations-proposed Decision on management of tariff quotas defined under a Protocol to the Stabilisation and Accession Agreement between the European communities and their member-countries, on one side, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other side, so as to take regard of the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union.
The Decision provides for the ways and criteria for distribution of tariff quotas on import of certain products within the approved customs-free quota, in addition to improving transparency and disabling misuses thereof.
The adoption of the Decision creates conditions for an even and rational quotas distribution, though a public call, which will be benefit both business development and employment.
A full quotas distribution, under the Decision, should start this July, until when the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and Indirect Taxation Administration shall have created conditions to enable importers timely preparation.
Until then, one third of quotas will be issued chronologically as per relative date of receipt of application for putting goods to market.
AMENDED TARIFFS OF ADMINISTRATIVE FEES FOR REASON OF HARMONISATION WITH NEW REGULATIONS ON FOREIGNERS
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on amendment of administrative fees tariff, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security, now harmonised with new regulations on foreigners, which prescribes additional procedures the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs should follow while acting upon applications of foreign citizens.
The amended Decision provides for fees in procedures with foreigners, ranging from KM 10.00, a fee price for registration of stay with the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, to KM 200.00 for foreigner’s permanent residence or for abolition/time period reduction of an entry ban to BIH.
Organised crime victims, i.e. victims of human trafficking, will be freed from paying fees for temporary stay permits and/or for travel list issuance; those are persons with approved stay in BIH for humanitarian reasons, or, they are foreigners with approved refugee status or humanitarian stay.
SUPPORT TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision on allocating funds under “accommodation and legal assistance to foreigners-human trafficking victims grant” for 2016 and Decision on allocation of funds under “legal assistance to individuals accommodated at the Immigration Centre” for 2016, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Security.
Under the Decision, three NGOs received total KM 22,120.00 from the “accommodation and legal assistance to foreigners-human trafficking victims grant”, following a public call and NGOs’ report on number of foreign human trafficking victims, accommodated in safe houses and legal assistance provided in 2016.
According to the Decision on funds allocation in 2016 under “legal assistance to individuals accommodated at the Immigration Centre” KM 17,400.00 were allocated from the Ministry’s budget to the “Your Right BIH” NGO, after a public call and signed-to Protocol on Cooperation.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF BIH: TO PREVENT ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS BETWEEN BIH AND SERBIA
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information from the Ministry of Security on activities taken to date on implementation of the “Blocking the ways suitable for illegal crossing of state border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia” project.
The BIH Border Police is responsible to report its activities under the project to the Council of Ministers of BIH.
The competent bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia agreed the project realisation in March 2015, which should result in blocking of all 13 sites suitable for illegal border crossing between BIH and Serbia.
No considerable interest among donors has been shown for the project implementation, for which reason it was decided for the BIH Border Police to launch relevant activities in 2017, while the Ministry of Security should continue seeking donor support, so that the “Blocking the ways suitable for illegal crossing of state border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia” Project might be fully implemented.
The implementation of the project, referred to by the European Commission in its BIH Progress Report, is one of the priority goals of the Integrated Border Management Strategy and accompanying Action Plan for year 2017.
ANSWERING TO EC QUESTIONNAIRE SHOULD BE PRIORITY FOR ALL –LEVEL AUTHORITIES
The Council of Ministers of BIH tasked competent institutions within the Council of Ministers, and recommended to the Entity, Brčko District of BIH and Cantonal Governments, to urge their respective institutions to follow the “Guidelines for drafting answers to the European Commission questionnaire for preparation of an opinion on membership application”, adopted at the 51st session of the Council of Ministers of BIH.
The Council of Ministers of BIH Institutions should, while the Entity, Brčko District of BIH and Cantonal Governments were recommended to, task their institutions to take the drafting of answers to the European Commission questionnaire as a priority task, to comply with the recommended deadlines, and to secure a full cooperation with the Directorate for European Integrations.
The Directorate for European Integrations under the Council of Ministers of BIH was tasked to organise the process of translating the answers into English language.
Simultaneously, all Council of Ministers of BIH institutions were tasked, while Entity and Brčko District of BIH and Cantonal Governments were recommended to task their institutions to translate into English language their laws and by-laws and other documents from their respective competences, which will be submitted as attachments to the answers to the EC questionnaire.
The Directorate for European Integrations of the Council of Ministers of BIH was tasked to keep the public informed of the course of preparations of answers to the EC questionnaire.
The BIH Institutions should have prepared answers to the EC questionnaire by January 31, 2017, while work groups should technically finalise and confirm the answers of BIH.
The above conclusions are based on a “Proposal deadlines for preparation of answers to questions from the European Commission questionnaire” and report on previous activities on preparation of answers, both drafted by the Directorate for European Integrations.
PREPARATIONS FOR 1ST MEETING OF SUB-COMMITTEE FOR INNOVATIONS, IT SOCIETY AND SOCIAL POLICY
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted information on holding of the first meeting of the Sub-Committee for Innovations, IT Society and Social Policy, scheduled for February 2, 2017 in Banja Luka. Adopted was also a Discussion Document for the meeting, which the Directorate for European Integrations will send to the European Commission.
A Delegation of BIH was designated for discussion with the European Commission representatives on information society, electronic communication and information technologies, audio-visual policy and media, education and trainings, youth and cultural activities, employment and social policy, and plans for investments into research activities.
ALL-LEVEL AUTHORITIES TO TAKE EFFORT TO IMPROVE BUSINESS-MAKING AND COMPETITIVENESS IN BIH
The Council of Ministers of BIH took note of a document Analysis of Foreign Direct Investments to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015 and on reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina and the neighbouring countries by international organisations, prepared by the BIH Foreign Investment Promotion Agency.
Foreign direct investments to BIH in 2015 amounted to about KM 417 million, and were less for 38.9 per cent, relative to year 2014.
The session concluded that activities are necessary to be taken at all levels of authority in order to improve business-making conditions and competitiveness of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Projections by the Directorate for Economic Planning suggest on an increase of foreign direct investment share in the GDP over the next several years. So, a share of foreign direct investments in the BIH GDP in 2017 is expected to be 2.6 and 2.9 per cent in 2018.
HUNGARY GRANTS 50 SHOLARSHIPS TO BIH STUDENTS
The Council of Ministers defined a Proposal 2017-2020Programme of Educational and Cultural Cooperation between the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BIH and Ministry of Human Resources of Hungary, and will forward it to the BIH Presidency.
According to the Programme, Hungary offers annual scholarships for 50 students from Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue their studies in Hungary in Hungarian or English language, and this include 20 scholarships for studies of agriculture and natural science, 20 scholarships for studies of engineering and economy and five one-cycle studies of medicine for full graduate and postgraduate study programmes. Also, the Hungarian side offers five scholarships for doctoral studies in English language in any field of interest. Other than free studies, Hungary will secure accommodation in university campuses and student dorms, including health insurance and monthly pocket money.
Under the Programme, Bosnia and Herzegovina offers the continuation of studies to Hungarian students at one of the universities in BIH under conditions prescribed within the Central European University Exchange Programme.
ESTABLISHED TECHNICAL CONDITIONS FOR SECURE ELECTRONIC SDIGNATURE
The Council of Ministers of BIH took, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Communications and Transport, a Rulebook on measures and procedures of use and protection of electronic signature, means for forming electronic signature and certification system.
The Rulebook provides for technical-technological steps for forming of secure electronic signature, in accordance with international standards and recommendations.
The Rulebook will enable the Law on Electronic Signature to be applied, in addition to securing conditions for the start of operation of the Supervision and Accreditation Office.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS REALISED 90 PER CENT OF CONCLUSIONS IN NINE MONTHS LAST YEAR
The Council of Ministers of BIH realised 539 out of total 602 conclusions in January-September 2016, and 63 conclusions remained unimplemented. Practically, 90 per cent of conclusions were realised, reads a January 1-September 31 2016 Review of conclusions implementation, prepared by the Council of Ministers of BIH Secretariat-General, considered at the session.
The Ministries and other institutions failing to fully implement the Council of Ministers conclusions, are urged to implement them fully without further delay, and to accelerate their activities on realisation of those conclusions requiring longer time or cooperation with other institutions.
APPOINTMENTS
The Council of Ministers fob IH appointed Dženan Salčin for acting Director of the Public Procurement Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the term of previous Manager Džinita Fočo ended.The Council of Ministers appointed Danijela Topić for a member of the regional Youth Cooperation Office, as a representative of Youth Non-Governmental Organisations in BIH, after completion of a public job vacancy procedure. (end)