Financing Projects in Bosnia in Crisis - Careless

Helping Croats in Bosnia is good, but not increasing this help during crisis, when we are dismissing workers, MPs agree.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – Regardless of the economic crisis that has hit Croatia, the chaos that erupted with the cancellation of the second pension insurance pillar and the increase in the number of the unemployed, the government has not decreased its financing in projects in Bosnia. According to Bosnian media, the financing even increased by several dozen million kuna. The Croatian government committed to take over a loan arrangement of 180 million kuna for the completion of the second phase of a university campus in Mostar, the Croatian Finance Ministry confirmed to Javno. Another 130 million have been set aside for projects in Bosnia this year. 

- It is the constitutional obligation of Croatia to take care of Croats outside of the borders – the finance ministry said in a statement.

The assistance to Bosnian Croats should be rational 

Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic of the Social Democrats (SDP) said she agreed with Croatia providing financial assistance to Croats outside of Croatia if it is founded on a constitutional obligation and if that assistance is rational.

- Nobody is that poor to not be able to help others – she said.

However, she stressed, the fact that the government is supporting “non-transparent and illegal residence registrations” is unacceptable.

The Croatian government wants a dependant population 

- The government tolerates false residence registries in Croatia. These people are drawing funds from the government budget. In this way the government is buying votes and giving people what does not belong to them – Anticevic-Marinovic stressed, adding that she does not fear anything that is transparent.

She added that the Croatian government wants a dependent population.

- We help us and you give us our votes – the MP illustrated.

Ana Knezevic of the Independent Unions of Croatia thinks the government’s move is inconsiderate.

- When we have a crisis in Croatia and workers are being laid off, financing projects in Bosnia-Herzegovina is inconsiderate. Look at what our faculty buildings look like, students are complaining they have nowhere to sit and they are financing the construction of a university campus in Mostar – Knezevic said.

Institutional in Croatia should be financed first 

Former minister, Gvozden Flego, explained that during his mandate, the amount of funds given to Bosnian Croats had been determined based on public tenders.

- A special commission oversaw the projects and suggested to the government how to divide the money. The amount was some 50 million kuna – Flego said.

He stressed that institutions in Croatia should be financed first and then projects outside the country.

- It is very good to help Croats in Bosnia, but they should be rational with this help – Flego concluded.