Nezavisne novine: The budget of BiH for the next year could be increased by about 341 million KM, has been stated in the Draft budget, which the Ministry of Finance of BiH has yesterday sent to the Council of Ministers for adoption.
"By the draft it has been predicted that the total budget of the institutions of BiH is about 1.54 billion KM. Unless it has been adopted in proposed draft, in relation to this year, the budget for the next year will be increased by about 341 million KM", has been said by Fuad Kasumović, Deputy Minister for Finance and Treasury of BiH.
By the draft budget for financing the institutions of BiH 1.16 billion KM has been planned, which is about 219 million KM more than last year. BiH will in 2009 pay about 384 million KM of external debt, which has also been increased by about 122 million KM in relation to the last year.
"Increase of the external debt is expected because the rates of taken loans begin to arrive in accordance with the earlier signed contracts. Increase of the budget item for financing the state institutions has come from our obligation that in the process of getting closer to the NATO for defense we separate 2% from the total GDP, and that we fulfill the state institutions with the high qualified staff, which is the obligation from the process of the European Integrations", explains Kasumović.
Dragan Vrankić, the State Minister for Finance, has yesterday called on avoiding the political manipulation of the budget adoption of the institutions of BiH.
"I appeal on avoiding the political manipulation, and all this with a goal of a normal functioning of state institutions, which unfortunately could not this year follow the adopted plans because of the late adoption of the budget. I expect a full responsibility of all included in this process, so the budget can be adopted by the end of this year", Vrankić has said.