Sjednice
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Holds Its 2nd Session
01/23/2020
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted the Ministry of security-proposed 2020-2023 Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under which the BIH authorities defined their anti-human trafficking policies for the next four years, harmonised with the European Commission recommendations.
The Strategy general purpose is to secure a permanent, comprehensive and sustainable response of the society to human trafficking by way of strengthening of prevention system, prosecution of perpetrators of criminal act linked to human trafficking, in addition protection and assistance to victims, especially vulnerable groups, functional capacity building and connecting with all competent institutions and organisations.
The Strategy covers five aims: support, prevention, criminal prosecution, victim support, and partnership, and its drafting engaged representatives of the state, entity and Brčko District of BIH institutions.
The Strategy incorporates recommendations by international monitoring mechanisms (UN. Council of Europe), US State Secretariat, and European Union), so implementing the strategically defined policies, Bosnia and Herzegovina will fulfil its obligations stemming from relevant international documents.
The Strategy paper will be accompanied by action plans, as operative strategic documents based on goals and measures to be adopted by the Council of Ministers for the state level, and by the Entity, Cantonal and Brčko District of BIH Governments for institutions from their jurisdiction.
ENERGY EFFICAFY PROJECT TO HELP IMPORVE AIR QUALITY IN SARAJEVO
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted an Initiative by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, and designated a negotiating delegation for conclusion of a EUR 8 million Loan Contract between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the Energy Efficacy in Sarajevo Canton Public Facilities Project.
The project includes the realisation of measures for improvement of energy efficacy in about 40 public facilities in Sarajevo in the health, education, labour, social policy, culture, sports and internal affairs sectors.
Expected is decreased energy use in those facilities and decreased air polluters emission, while the investment should be paid out from savings to be made for about 10 years. Annual savings should practically reach more than KM 1.6 million annually.
The loan term is 10 years with three year-grace period, and it is allocated to the federation of BIH - Sarajevo Canton (Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection).
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will, upon the negotiations finalisation, provide a Draft Loan Contract between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to the Council of Minister of BIH.
NO ALLOW FOR LIMITATION OF SENTENCED INFRACTIONS
The Institutions of BIH will apply Article 42 of e Law on Infractions, in order to collect sentenced fines based on infraction orders before they get expired and deleted from the Register kept with the Identification Documents and Data Exchange Agency of BIH, which fines imply a compulsory collection procedure.
This was concluded by the Council of Ministers of BIH after it adopted a Report by the Ministry of Justice on non-paid fines. It is about fines with five-year term for collection, starting from the day fine orders became final and effective.
A data analysis provided proves that in year 2016 and 2017 evidenced were 9,588 unpaid fines in total amount of KM 5,661,944.81 against sentenced infraction orders, issued by the Indirect Taxation Administration of BIH, Border Police of BIH, Ministry of Communication and Transport, and Foreigners Affairs’ Service of BIH. Out of the above number, 5,263 unpaid fines are from year 2016, and 4,325 are from year 2017.
All registered and unpaid fines from the first half of 2016 will be deleted from the Registry of sentenced fines by the end of 2020, and for unpaid fines in the first half of 2017, a half of limitation term already expires. Only fines sentenced in the second half of year 2017 have a three-year collection term, starting from the day their of entry into electronic database, as provided for under the existing regulation.
WORLD BANK PILOT PROJECT TARGETS UNEMPLOYMENT IN BIH
The Council of Ministers of BIH considered a note from the World Bank and granted its consent for a launch of activities required for realisation of grant project of employment service provision in Bosnia and Herzegovina
These activities are the support to reforms implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at decreasing of informal employment and strengthening of service-provision in employment, focused at youth and those less connected to labour market.
It is about pilot activities to relay on private service providers in employment for support to the unemployed registered with the public employment services. The ultimate aim is testing alternative models of employment service provision, primarily for long-term unemployment your persons.
The project will be financed though grant funds, and its finalisation is expected by June 30, 2020.
RATIFIED AGREEMETNS
The Council of Ministers of BIH defined separate proposal decisions on ratification, proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as follows: Note Agreement on financial Cooperation between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of the Federal Republic of Germany for year 2018; grant Agreement between the Council of Europe Development Bank and Bosnia and Herzegovina for regional Housing Programme – BIH 6 (2018); protocol on Cooperation in Search for Missing Persons between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Government of Montenegro, and Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Taxation Matters. The proposal decisions will be provided to the BIH Presidency for further ratification procedure.
SUPPLEMETED DECISION ON ADMINISTRATIVE FEE TARIFFS
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a Decision, proposed by the Ministry of Justice, on a supplement to administrative fee tariffs, in accordance with the Law on Administrative Fees.
The decision amends the level of fees on documents and actions for confirmation of representative trade union (KM 200) and fees on a request for issuance of copy resolution or confirmation (KM 20).
The Supplement to the Decision, increasing the fees, is the result of an analysis of real costs, necessary activities needed to be taken by the Ministry of Justice to implement the procedure and take an adequate decision.
The proposal decision went the public consultations process in time period between May 22 and June 6, 2019, with no comment or amendment requested.
FUNDS RESTRUCTURING
The Council of Ministers of BIH took a decision, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Justice, on Amendments of Decision on approving multi-year project “Facility Reconstruction and Up-Building for Accommodation of Prosecutorial Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
The decision makes restructuring of earlier approved funds at certain points, so that the total project value of KM 4,237,000.00 will not be increased, as approved by the previous Council of Ministers of BH at its 157th session, held on November 7, 2018.
DECISION ON LEAST AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR FOREIGNERS
The Council of Ministers of BIH took the Ministry of Security-proposed Decision on the least amount of funds needed for support of foreigners for time of their intended stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The least amount of funds at foreigner’s disposal on his entry to BIH for year 2020 is KM 150 or equivalent in foreign convertible currency for each day of his intended stay; the amount is the same as in the previous year.
USE OF CURRENT RESERVES FUNDS FOR I-IX 2019
The Council of Ministers of BIH adopted a report by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury on reallocation and use of current reserves funds for January-September 2019.
The Council of Ministers of BIH approved the current reserves funds in the first nine months of 2019 total KM 1,606,000.00, out of the planned KM 1,701,750.00, within the remainder of resources are (approved) unrealised funds in amount of KM 644,356.16.
As the 2019 Budget had not been adopted for the reported period of time, the Budget reserve, defined under the Law on Financing of Bosnia and Herzegovina Institutions, Law on Budget of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for year 2018, as well as quarterly decisions on temporary financing of the BIH Institutions.
The Ministry of finance and Treasury will provide the Report on reallocation and use of current reserves funds for I-IX 2019 to the Parliamentarian Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a further procedure.
MIGRANT SITUATION
The Council of Ministers of BIH was noted of separate pieces of information from the Ministry of Security on developments in the area o migrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the time period from April to October 2019.
The relevant pieces of information drafted by previous Council of Ministers will be provided to the BIH Presidency.
The Foreigners’ Affairs Service got registered 22,221 illegal migrant entries to BIH in time period from January 1 to September 30, 2019.
For the same period of time, an intention to seek asylum was declared by 21,157 migrants, while 455 of them applied for asylum.
Migrants were mostly citizens of Pakistan (8,786 or 39%), followed by citizens of Afghanistan (2,359 or 10.6%), Bangladesh (1,939 or 8.7%), Iraq (1,843 or 8.3%), and Syria (1.390 or 6.3%).
Last August, the Foreigners’ Affairs Service registered 3,206 illegal migrants, which is a drop for 23% relative to July same year, when total 4,166 illegal migrants were registered. In September 3.812 illegal migrants were registered, more than 19% than in August.
Among top priorities are the strengthening of BIH order Police and intensification of fight against migrant smuggler, in addition to support to local communities in which temporary collective centres were established.
BUDGET EXECUTION FOR 1-3 Q 2019
The Council of Mi8nisters of BIIH adopted a Budget Execution Report of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of BIH for Q I-III 2019.
The total realised revenues and financial support for institutions, together with profits from sales of fixed assets and succession, as well as revenues transferred from the previous year in time period January-September 2019 amounted to KM 686.572.626.
The total expenditures were KM 575.787.727, and were less for about Km 59 million or 8% relative to the same period the year before.
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury will post the Report at tis official web site.
CONSENT TO VOTE TO CITIZENS OF HUNGARY AND APPOINTMENT OF ATTACHES OF ISRAEL AND ROMANIA
The Council of Ministers gave tis consent, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for voting by Hungarian citizens on February 20, 2020 at elections in Hungary. The pulling will be held at the premises of the Embassy of Hungary in Sarajevo.
The Council of Ministers gave separate consents, upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for appointment of David Solomon for a police attaché of Israel for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with his HQ in Bucharest, and for appointment of Colonel Robertin-Kristian Chioban for defence-military, naval and air force attaché of Romania for BIH, with his seat in Sarajevo.
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