RAČIĆ: AUTHORITIES SHOULD FOCUS ON ECONOMIC ISSUES

JAHORINA, MAY 21 /SRNA/ - The main conclusion and goal of this year’s Jahorina Economic Forum is the insistence that authorities in BiH and the region put economic issues in the center of their activities, Forum President Goran Račić told SRNA.

Račić emphasized that the region needs economic integration and the creation of a single economic area, noting that the CEFTA was signed a long time ago and nothing has been done since to improve the business environment in a way that would support economic development. According to him, the digitalization and restructuring of public enterprises must be accelerated, and an environment must be created that encourages young people to stay in the region. "We need to adapt demographic policy to realistic frameworks, and we must be aware that our economy is facing a labor shortage," Račić said. He added that the labor import should also be adjusted to realistic frameworks. "When businesspeople want to hire someone from abroad, it takes months for the process to be completed," Račić said. He pointed out that the restructuring of public companies can no longer be postponed and that some public companies have a workforce surplus of up to 40 percent, while some key institutions necessary for the functioning and stability of the economic and social system are understaffed. "If we were to restructure public companies, we could transfer part of the workforce from overstaffed public companies to understaffed ones," Račić said. Račić also noted that overstaffed public companies are competing with the real sector.