AMIDŽIĆ: FEDERATION OF BiH SEEKS TO LIMIT REPUBLIKA SRPSKA'S DECISION-MAKING POWERS

BANJA LUKA, JULY 16 /SRNA/ - The Federation of BiH's primary goal is to ensure that Republika Srpska has as little decision-making authority as possible, rather than to see more projects implemented in both entities, Minister of Finance and Treasury in the Council of Ministers Srđan Amidžić stated.

Amidžić said that discussions often focus on secondary issues instead of those that are important for the lives of people in Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, adding that political relations are one of the reasons. "These issues are simply pushed into the background and made conditional in various ways. Our agenda will include everything except what is essential for the functioning of the country or the implementation of major projects. This is further proof of how difficult it is for BiH, structured as it is, to function economically," Amidžić assessed. He noted that BAM 137 million was spent last year on financing 110 projects under the Public Investment Programme in BiH, representing just over 40 percent of the planned implementation, adding that the low implementation rate resulted from the late adoption of the budget as well as the lack of political consensus. He stressed that this is why the financial capacity of the entity budgets is particularly important, especially when it comes to Republika Srpska. "In the previous period, we heard criticism that the budget was too large, but those making such objections refused to acknowledge that these were measures the Government of Republika Srpska had to take in order to implement projects in road infrastructure, building construction and support for all budget beneficiaries. The goal is to overcome all the problems that exist at the BiH level," Amidžić stressed. He noted that Republika Srpska officials had not expected much more than joint projects and activities to be implemented. "All the projects that have not been implemented at the BiH level are simply being financed through the Republika Srpska budget. As you can see, hospitals are being built, main roads are being modernized and reconstructed, motorways and bridges are being constructed. These are projects we should have implemented together through the Growth Plan, but when it became clear that nothing would come of it, the Government of Republika Srpska and Prime Minister Savo Minić took over that responsibility, and these projects are being completed this year, just as they were in previous years," Amidžić said. Amidžić believes that the authorities in the Federation of BiH want to make life in Republika Srpska as difficult as possible. "In such a situation, someone will score political points in the Federation of BiH. When I said that Zijad Krnjić's opposition to opening a new border crossing in Gradiška was politically motivated, he denied it. I then read that he would head the candidate list of one of the Bosniak parties. He was conducting a political campaign by harassing Serbs," Amidžić pointed out. He rejected what he described as the false narrative that EUR 970 million from the Growth Plan had been lost. "That is not true. Of those EUR 970 million to be implemented over a longer period, EUR 700 million are loans. Those are not funds granted to Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, but funds they would borrow, while EUR 280 million are grants," Amidžić told RTRS. Speaking about VAT refunds for first-home buyers, Amidžić said this was the project he was most pleased to have helped secure. "We adopted the rulebook to my great personal satisfaction, as I was part of the process. We adopted a comprehensive law. There was a great deal of work and political wrangling before it was passed in the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples. This is significant assistance for everyone purchasing their first home. There are no age limits," Amidžić noted.