AMIDŽIĆ: BLOCKED RULEBOOK SHOWS DYSFUNCTION OF BiH

BANJA LUKA, DECEMBER 10 /SRNA/ – The Minister for Finance and Treasury in the Council of Ministers Srđan Amidžić stated that the failure to adopt amendments to the Rulebook on Internal Organization of the Indirect Taxation Authority /ITA/ of BiH, thereby preventing the newly built Gradiška border crossing from becoming operational, is yet another indication that BiH is not sustainable.

After the extraordinary session of the ITA Management Board, Amidžić told reporters that everyone living in BiH is paying the price, questioning whether life in such a state is even viable. "The rulebook was rejected by Zijad Krnjić - and that is the position of the expert appointed by the Government of the Federation of BiH. It's a very clear message about what so-called `coexistence` in BiH looks like," Amidžić assessed. He reminded that previous objections concerned whether the session was extraordinary or regular. "We accommodated that request, convened the session, held discussions, and there were no objections to the systematization. Then that wasn't acceptable either, and it was demanded that other items be added to the agenda. We did that today, but even that wasn't enough," Amidžić explained. Amidžić noted that Krnjić believed this border crossing was not a priority, claiming citizens had waited this long and could continue waiting. "We reminded him of the long queues at the border; he said they should wait again. Who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to discuss? We've reached the point of conditionality - `if you want this systematization adopted, then adopt the temporary coefficients and temporary settlements,`" Amidžić remarked. He noted that this issue is important for FBiH, but equally important for Republika Srpska due to the FBiH's 30-million debt to Srpska and the halted distribution of toll revenues. At this point, Amidžić added he could not find any expression fitting to describe Krnjić, as "basic decency" prevents him from saying what he truly thinks. "One man is taking it out on everyone living in BiH. On a human level, I feel empty and defeated," Amidžić said. Amidžić said that one million vehicles and four million passengers passed through the Gradiška crossing by December, with huge traffic jams and significantly higher transport costs for carriers. He called on FBiH to dismiss Krnjić if it does not stand behind his actions and if his behavior is not official policy. The ITA Management Board once again failed, during today's second extraordinary session, to adopt amendments to the Rulebook on Internal Organization that would allow the new Gradiška border crossing to begin operations. Zijad Krnjić, the Management Board member appointed by the Government of FBiH, voted against the rulebook for the fourth time. Also on the agenda was a decision on the allocation of toll revenues for highways and roads, but it did not receive support from FBiH, while members from Republika Srpska did not support decisions on inter-entity financial settlements for the past three years. The ITA Management Board likewise failed to adopt the decision determining provisional coefficients for the distribution of funds from the single account for the period October–December 2025.