OPPOSITION MAYORS URGED TO REDIRECT 30 PERCENT OF VAT AND EXCISE FUNDS TO PUBLIC

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 26 /SRNA/ – The Minister of Finance and Treasury in the Council of Ministers Srđan Amidžić has stated today in Banja Luka that local communities led by opposition parties in Republika Srpska have received more than BAM 1 billion from VAT and excise revenues over the past six years.

“Everyone is now saying what the Government of Republika Srpska should do, especially leaders and representatives of opposition parties, while at the same time choosing to ignore the portion of funds that municipalities led by their mayors receive from VAT and, partly, excise duties,” Amidžić stressed. At a press conference, Amidžić listed municipalities not led by SNSD that have received more than BAM 1 billion from VAT and excise revenues over the past six years. “This year, the largest transfers from indirect taxes will go to Banja Luka, nearly BAM 100 million, and Bijeljina BAM 62 million. Why don’t they protest when they receive these funds? They have no issue when the Ministry of Finance of Republika Srpska transfers funds to them every month from VAT and partly from excise duties,” Amidžić said. He explained that the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH allocates funds to Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, and that Republika Srpska, based on the Budget Law, distributes these funds to local communities. “I call on those who now explain how significant VAT reductions are possible to tell their party colleagues in power in these local communities to allocate 30 percent of these funds and return them to citizens. They say it is possible. I ask that in Banja luka, BAM 30 million be set aside in a special fund and distributed to every unemployed person and pensioner,” Amidžić underlined. He called on Lopare, Bijeljina, Modriča, Teslić, Šamac, and Istočna Ilidža to do the same. “They say the Government of Republika Srpska should increase allocations, yet when they collect VAT and excise revenues from the Government based on road tolls, that is acceptable. They have collected BAM 1 billion on this basis over six years-just consider how much they will collect in 2026 alone,” Amidžić said. He urged mayors from opposition parties to give up part of what he described as "that so-called undesirable VAT and excise revenue". “Why don’t they set aside part of those funds and return them? They say they don’t need SNSD, which they claim doesn’t understand the situation. They cannot do it, yet they accuse Prime Minister Savo Minić of political hypocrisy,” Amidžić stressed. He questioned why these local communities do not allocate 30 percent of the funds they receive from VAT and excise duties and return them to citizens through various measures. “Republika Srpska, like any country, needs stability in times like these, which means every issue must be approached professionally. Experts say that in such periods, we should not rely on uncertain price reductions, but on reliable measures-such as those implemented by the Government of Republika Srpska, using surplus tax revenues to increase wages,” Amidžić said.