Assistance to the population due to the rise in the consumer price index
At today’s session, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Regulation on assistance to the population due to the rise in the consumer price index. It refers to assistance to the population, through monetary payments in the amount of 100 KM to pensioners, then a one-time monetary assistance of 100 KM to beneficiaries of rights from veterans-disability protection and persons with disabilities, as well as to civilian victims of war, as well as through aid packages for basic foodstuffs in the amount of 500 KM to recipients of permanent cash and other material assistance. It is estimated that the financial support will cover more than 530,000 inhabitants, and the funds for the implementation of this regulation are provided from the FBiH Budget.
The general goal of the regulation is to provide financial and material support in order to improve the material status of the most vulnerable categories of the population, due to the significant growth of the consumer price index.
Beneficiaries of pensions of the Federal Institute for PIO, who reside in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and are caught in the payment of a pension on the day of payment of the monetary amount, have the right to a monetary payment in the amount of 100 KM. The monetary amount is an integral part of the pension and is paid with the pension for the month of July 2022.
One-time financial assistance in the amount of 100 KM is provided to beneficiaries of the right to personal and family disability benefits, a monthly cash allowance based on recognition or awards, and the right to monetary subsistence allowance. One-time financial aid is paid to persons who have received compensation based on their status for the month of June 2022. Persons who are beneficiaries of the above-mentioned rights receive this assistance only on one basis. The Federal Ministry for Veterans Affairs and Disabled People of the Defense and Liberation War will pay a one-time financial aid within 60 days from the entry into force of this regulation.
Persons with disabilities and civilian victims of war are entitled to one-time financial assistance in the amount of 100 KM. One-time financial assistance is paid to persons who received compensation based on their status for the month of June 2022. Persons who have the status of persons with disabilities and the status of civilian victims of war receive one-time financial assistance only on one basis. The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy will pay a one-time financial aid to persons with disabilities within 60 days from the date of entry into force of the regulation, while in the same period the cantonal administration bodies will pay a one-time aid to civilian victims of the war, and the funds will be transferred to them from the Federation Budget.
According to the decree, assistance is also available to recipients of permanent financial assistance, who exercised this right for the month of June, as well as persons or families in a state of social need, who, according to the records of the competent centers for social work, i.e. municipal social protection services, have exercised the right to assistance in the previous six months. The support provided by these persons and families consists of a package of basic foodstuffs worth 500 KM. At the proposal of the Federal Directorate of Commodity Reserves, the Government of the Federation will make a decision that will determine the type and quantity of goods that will be used for these purposes. The support will be delivered within 60 days from the date of this decision.
The decree also establishes the possibility that the employer can pay a one-time benefit to the worker in the amount of up to 1,080 KM, until 12/31/2022. years. This assistance is not considered a salary or salary compensation according to the provisions of the Labor Law.
In the explanation of the reasons for the adoption of this regulation, it was stated that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing significant inflationary pressures caused by external factors, which especially affect the population of weaker material status. Although the rise in prices was caused by external factors, primarily as a result of the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has already taken measures to protect the most vulnerable categories. Thus, in 2022, pensions and veterans’ benefits were increased, and significantly larger funds were allocated for agriculture and commodity reserves with the aim of intervention on food prices. Furthermore, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has already passed several laws that provide material support to certain categories. Finally, unable to influence the prices of gas and oil, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to subsidize the price of electricity for households, and to limit margins in order to prevent possible abuses of the current situation in order to achieve higher profits.
Uz sve ovo, rast javnih prihoda u prvih šest mjeseci 2022. godini je također omogućio Vladi Federacije BiH da dodatno interveniše u vidu pružanja danas utvrđene jednokratne finansijske pomoći, kao i pomoć u vidu paketa osnovnih životnih namirnica primaocima stalne novčane i druge materijalne pomoći. Na ovaj način, Vlada FBiH ostaje privržena principu prema kojem višak javnih prihoda direktno usmjerava građanima kojima su oni najpotrebniji.
Ovom Uredbom, Vlada Federacije BiH također omogućava, ali ne propisuje obavezu, da poslodavci svojim radnicima isplate jednokratnu pomoć bez plaćanja poreza i doprinosa.
Zbog nemogućnost da direktno utiče na cijene roba koje su određene vanjskim faktorima, Vlada Federacije BiH je donijela ovu Uredbu kako bi barem jednim dijelom nadomjestila izgubljeni životni standard najranjivijih kategorija, ne ugrožavajući pri tome fiskalnu stabilnost i redovne isplate iz Budžeta FBiH.
Source:
IMPLEMENTED BY:
