Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Vjekoslav Bevanda received in Sarajevo today Head of Mission of IMF for BIH Costas Christou, with whom he talked on economic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Chairman Bevanda informed Head of the IMF Mission Christou of the activities Council of Ministers has undertaken to date on the adoption of the 2011 BIH Budget and on current activities on development of a Draft BIH Budget for 2012 and creation of the 2012-2014 Global Fiscal Framework. He stressed that on drafting the 2012 Budget, the current difficult economic situation in BIH, as well as internationally, will be taken into account, but that BIH has to plan financing of the European Road Map legislation, such as the Law on Census of Population and Households, up-coming local elections and an urgent solving the issue of border-crossings with the European Union. As one of the items, where considerable Budget savings are possible to be made, according to Chairman Bevanda, is a review of rentals of office space for the BIH institutions.
Head of IMF Mission for BIH Christou said that appointment of Chairman Bevanda and final establishment of the Council of Ministers of BIH is a positive break through that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made and that a demanding task stands before the new Council of Ministers.
“What all what to see is a fiscal coordination within the country, single voice towards the outside and the adopted 2012 Budget, said the Head of the IMF Mission.
The agreed to the point that an issue for Bosnia and Herzegovina are not revenues, but rather expenditures, so that setting-up a fiscal discipline is inevitable at all levels of BIH government. In regard to that, as one of solutions, Chairman Bevanda mentioned the development of a Law on Fiscal Accountability in BIH, as those that already exist in the neighbouring countries.
Chairman Bevanda and Head of the IMF Mission for BIH Christou exchanged views on the modalities of future cooperation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the IMF.
The Head of the IMF Mission said that the IMF is open and ready for cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The meeting was attended by IMF Resident Representative Milan Cuc.
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