A thematic session on the perspectives of economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the prism of stable employers, organized by the Joint Commission for Economic Reforms and Development of the PA BiH, was held today at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
At the thematic session, which was attended by representatives of the Employers' Union of The Republic of Srpska, the Employers' Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Employers' Association of the Brčko District of BiH, economic reforms whose implementation leads to faster economic growth and development, the Recession in the EU and the implications for our country, the issues of migration, energy transition and digitalization, the position of workers and the challenges that domestic employers face in their work, were discussed. And questions are also open regarding the EU pre-accession assistance program for rural development in BiH (IPARD), as well as prospects in the field of production and export of renewable energy.
In their discussions, representatives of employers in BiH claimed that BiH. The company operates in difficult conditions. In particular, they warned of the growing shortage of labor in construction, metal and wood processing industry, tourism and hospitality industry, as well as the negative trend of mass migration of the population, i.e., the departure of productive labor force from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the countries of the European Union.
In this regard, they emphasized the need for significant support to the economy of government institutions at all levels, which would be reflected in incentives with the aim of retaining labor force, as well as in changing legislation, i.e., adapting legal regulations to the current needs of the economy with the aim of easier opening of new companies and strengthening the competitiveness of export-oriented companies. In this context, they supported the proposal to amend the Law on Value Added Tax, which was sent to the parliamentary procedure by the deputies in the House of Representatives of the PA BiH Darko Babalj and Mladen Bosić.
It also mentioned the issue of the need to import skilled labor for deficient occupations, which, through discussion on the parliamentary initiative of Nihad Omerović, was discussed at the sessions of the Joint Commission for Economic Reforms and Development, and the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.
The participants of today's gathering warned that our country is a community that has been functioning in a conflict environment for a long period of time, and emphasized the fact that the main reason for the departure of the workforce from the country is not economic, but, as they said, political instability, legal insecurity and a high degree of corruption in society.
In this regard, they appealed to political actors and decision-makers to reduce political tensions and inflammatory rhetoric that produces fear and insecurity in the population, and called for the improvement of social dialogue and the construction of a secure and stable system that will enable economic and economic growth of society and improve the quality of life of all residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Conclusions from the thematic session will be systematized and discussed at the next sessions of the Joint Commission for Economic Reforms and Development of the PA BiH, and offered to the Houses of the PA BiH for a statement.