prijava
SARAJEVO, November 19 (FENA) - Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH Fadil Novalić, Minister of Finance Jelka Milićević, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Veljko Drljača, Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Nermin Džindić and Assistant Minister of Health Goran Čerkez talked today with prime ministers and cantonal representatives on health and economic measures adopted with the aim of combating and mitigating the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
As Prime Minister Novalić said after the meeting, they discussed future potential measures in health care and the economy.
“It is important that we regularly discuss this with the cantons because only coordinated measures bring the results we want. I acquainted the attendees with the statistics and chronology of measures adopted so far at the FBiH level because each canton knows its results. Our key goals are to prevent the spread of the infection as much as possible, as well as any possible help to health. We leave health measures to experts, but I would like to remind you that FBiH has so far invested a lot in health and economic measures,” said Novalić.
He emphasizes that the character of support and monitoring of economic measures and the results they bring should be changed in the coming period in FBiH. He also recommended this to cantons.
“We would no longer talk about grants, but about economic measures that are active and which, through the increase of economic activity, bring balance to the budgets and the social sector. First of all, we would be talking about investing in health care, which we have defined in the law on health consolidation, which is in the parliament. We will also talk about these values in the negotiations with the World Bank. We would certainly increase investment spending, although Western economies are increasing consumer spending. We do not have a large number of domestic goods in our wide consumption, and on that side, investment consumption is more important to us,” said the FBiH Prime Minister.
Investment spending includes the construction of highways, roads, and energy, which is recommended at the FBiH and cantonal levels.
“We would increase the guarantee fund if there is spending from that resource. So far, it is 500 million KM, the first four have been approved these days. We could also talk about interest rate regression because it has yielded results in the Tuzla and Herzegovina-Neretva cantons. They could introduce it at the FBiH level as well. We would also invest in new values, in the export of milk, meat, etc., to make it a generator of employment,” he explained.
He emphasizes that support for employment will not be lacking.
“We now have minus 12,700 employees and that is our first concern. Our measures were focused on sustainable employment because they are both payers and consumers, so we will try to return at least those 12,700 with employment measures, and quite a lot of money is available for that. We will have to continue to help sectors that will not be able to recover next year whether there is a vaccine or not. Also, we must support culture, sports and normal human activities because the consequences of the coronavirus on the social issues are greater than the economic ones,” concluded Novalić.
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