Nezavisne novine: The economic crisis which has afflicted the whole world, will not go around the RS either, whose effects will be felt by the whole society, and its main attack is expected in March and April.
This has been said yesterday at the final public discussion in Banja Luka on the Government measures for moderating the negative effects of the world economic crisis.
Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister of the RS, has said that the crisis may not serve as an excuse, by adding that slow down of the economy growth is expected in the RS, but not the recession.
By presenting the measures of the Government, which should be adopted by the National Assembly of the RS on Monday, prime minister of the RS has said that this year some restrictive measures in public spending have been stipulated, while from the other side, they will be stimulating for economy.
According to him, the Government of the RS will support the production, but it will not fall into trap to finance the companies which are "chronically ill", to which the crisis can serve only as an excuse.
As a positive thing which brings the optimism and expectations that the RS will not go to recession, Dodik has stated the realization of big infrastructure projects, or beginning of building the highways and hydro-electric power plants on Bosnia and Bistrica rivers.
He has also reminded on a seasonable privatization of "Telekom Srpske" and Fuel oil industry by stating that those funds have not gone into public spending and that there is around 580 million KM for investments.
Besides the investments, Dodik has also announced some restrictive measures in public spending, as are the salaries of directors, reduction of expenditures for office material, expenditures for procurements and vehicle maintenance, and on rationalization of hiring in administration, with the improvement of work effectiveness.
"Restrictive policy of public spending implies the strong budget limitations, and the total public spending in 2009. should be kept on a planned level up to 40% of GDP and its growth must follow the productivity of work in economy", Dodik has said.
The prime minister has said that the Government of the RS will also participate in control of prices of elementary groceries, by stating that it is not logical that the price of bread after the fall of price of gas and wheat on the world's market, does not change.
Aleksandar Džombić, Minister of Finance of the RS, has said that the first attack of crisis has happened in October last year.
Minister of finance has said that the first attack on banks has been survived well, and that the credit activities of banks which today on the world's market hardly come to money, have been preserved thanks to the Investiciono-razvojna banka (Investment-Developmental Bank).
Anton Kasipović, Minister of Education and Culture of the RS, has said that the proposed measures should not be understood only as economic, "but as patriotic question as well".
Unions and economists satisfied by measures
Ranka Mišić, chairman of the Association of unions of the RS, has said that it is good that the Government of the RS has moved to prevention of the negative effects of economic crisis.
She has said that these measures can long-lastingly achieve the result, but that except for the measures for textile and leather industries not to operate immediately.
"Fresh money is needed in this moment, and these measures do not answer the question how to get to it", Mišić has said.
According to her, in this year there will be a fight for each work position, and that the Union because of the crisis has put some rights on "stand by", but it will not allow the abolishment of any right.
Borko Đurić, chairman of the Economic chamber of the RS, has said that the economists are generally satisfied by offered measures, but they have some technical complaints. He has said that the economists do not agree with the offered proposal to shorten the work hours as a way of preserving the current number of employed, because that would be irrational.