SARAJEVO, AUGUST 15 (ONASA) – The Federal Ministry of Education and Science announced that today, on the occasion of the current situation in the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it sent a letter to the Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk, and the Minister of Science, Higher Education and Youth, Adna Mesihović. it was announced from the FBiH Government.
In the letter, the Federal Ministry expresses concern about the problems in the implementation and implementation of the Law in relation to the unfavorable position of the NUB of BiH, and expects the Government of Sarajevo Canton, more precisely the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth, to assume the responsibility they have committed to and carry out the legal obligation to co-finance salaries and other expenses of the NUBBiH.
Below is the complete letter from the Federal Ministry of Education and Science.
– The Federal Ministry of Education and Science, on the basis of the representative initiative submitted by representative Damir Mašić in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, undertakes activities to collect information and opinions of competent institutions, with the aim of adopting a “lex specialis” according to which the federal level of government would also be resolved the issue of financing salaries for employees of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The process of passing such a law will require a certain period of time, during which the issue of paying salaries and overheads for employees of NUB BiH will remain uncovered or unresolved.
Aware of the fact that the KS Assembly passed the Law on the temporary takeover of co-financing of cultural and educational institutions founded by Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Official Gazette of Sarajevo Canton”, number 17/24) (hereinafter: Law), among which NUB is included , and that this law established the public interest of the Canton of Sarajevo for temporary co-financing, which includes the right of NUB employees to work and income for performing work and tasks from their registered activities, the Federal Ministry of Education and Science directed its public call to project activities for all seven institutions founded by the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in this way, through significant financial resources, we enabled the improvement of the work of the aforementioned institutions.
Article 5 of the aforementioned law stipulates that the Canton of Sarajevo, through the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of the KS, will co-finance the work of the NUB, with funds intended not only for salaries, but also for hot meals, holiday pay, other fees, overhead fees. However, such support from the NUB of BiH was absent, and the Canton of Sarajevo does not take any action on this matter, even though Article 4 of the Law clearly and unequivocally prescribes the responsibility of the Canton of Sarajevo for the sustainability of all institutions from Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Law, which includes and NUB, quote: “Responsibility – implies the responsibility of the Canton of Sarajevo for the sustainability of the institutions referred to in Article 2, paragraph (1) of this law, but also towards the citizens in order to have unhindered access to the institutions, and towards the use of public funds”.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Science reminds us that the 200,000 BAM that, according to our latest information, the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of KS allocated and paid to NUB BiH is clearly not enough for the sustainability of that institution, whose employees have not received their salary for the fifth month, and they announce cessation of work for 26.08.2024. If this happens, and it is very certain that it will, the established public interest of Sarajevo Canton will be called into question, and we should not forget the fact that in that case, the Law passed in favor of the institutions referred to in Article 2, paragraph (1) ) of the Law, to be the biggest damage done so far according to the NUB of BiH.
Therefore, the disproportionality of the funds paid to the NUB of BiH by the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of the KS in relation to the funds needed for smooth operation, indicates that the Canton of Sarajevo did not fulfill its duty based on the Law and funds were not provided for the sustainability of the NUB BiH, and the question arises of the results of a precise and detailed assessment of the impact of the Law, and thus of the responsibility of the activity holders for choosing the most favorable solution.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Science expresses its concern for the problems in the implementation and implementation of the Law in relation to the unfavorable position of the NUB of BiH, and expects the Government of KS, more precisely the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth, to assume the responsibility it has undertaken and fulfill the legal obligation co-financing of salaries and other expenses of NUB BiH – it was written in the letter of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science addressed to Prime Minister Uk and Minister Mesihović. (end)