FBiH PARTIES PUSH TO REALLOCATE STAFF FUNDS TO BHRT AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS

SARAJEVO, OCTOBER 30 /SRNA/ – Finance and Treasury Minister in the Council of Ministers Srđan Amidžić has stated that political parties from the Federation of BiH /FBiH/ believe that funds accumulated due to the lack of salary increases for employees in BiH institutions should be directed to BHRT and cultural institutions, rather than to the workers themselves.

Amidžić said this was the reason why the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly did not approve the draft budget for institutions and international obligations for this year.

He noted that parties from FBiH were unwilling for the funds to be allocated to the employees.

"Today we once again witnessed a situation where political interest outweighs any other interest, including that of the employees in BiH institutions," Amidžić told reporters.

He explained that discussions with trade union representatives and certain parliamentarians concluded that the only proper approach would be to distribute the accumulated funds to the employees to whom they belong, in the form of a one-time payment of BAM 1,000, including taxes and contributions.

Amidžić criticized as absurd and unfeasible an amendment proposal that would have given employees aid of BAM 1,800 instead of BAM 1,000.

He stressed that all political parties from FBiH opposed the realistic amendment and placed political interests above the interests of the people whose money it is.

"They said - let's distribute BAM 1,800, which doesn't exist, instead of accepting the distribution of BAM 1,000, which is already in the budget," Amidžić explained, reiterating that this is why the budget proposal was not approved today.

According to him, the conditions were not met to increase salaries for employees in institutions for these two months, nor to provide them with a one-time payment.

Amidžić concluded that this situation proves the extent to which BiH Presidency members Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić, and their supporters, hate what is known as Dayton BiH.