We are approaching the middle of November, and there is no draft budget of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026, although budget users submit budget requests to the Federal Ministry of Finance by August 31. According to the Law on Budgets in the FBiH, the Ministry was supposed to submit the draft budget to the Government of the FBiH for the next fiscal year by October 31, and after consideration, it should forward it to the Parliament of the Federation of BiH.
That didn’t happen. In addition, there have been no regular sessions of the FBiH Government for weeks.
– We don’t have a draft budget. In the first year of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina headed by Nermin Nikšić, a justification could somehow be found in terms of taking over power. The second year was getting used to the government, and now getting used to it.
It is the third year and the decision not to act differently. Although all budgetary institutions sent their requests a long time ago, it is all known, publicly, transparently, and even oncology patients send us letters, we have no indication of a draft budget – Admir Čavalić, president of the Club of Representatives of the SBiH and president of the Committee for Economic and Financial Policy in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH, tells Faktor.
He says that the budget, in the form of a proposal, can most likely be expected in January 2026.
– I expect that probably in January the Government of the FBiH will have a record, but election and pre-election budget of the FBiH. When they submit the budget to the parliamentary procedure, we will see what will be the attitude towards the Tuzla Canton, the construction of roads, because the dissatisfaction of the citizens of the Tuzla Canton is absolutely justified, where they see the Federation as a stepmother, not a mother in terms of finances and the return of what is paid, especially from the point of view of the economy. This is an export canton that contributes significantly to the entire Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and does not receive the necessary financial resources in return – says Čavalić.
He adds that his focus will be, when it comes to the FBiH budget for the next year, on the construction of the expressway Sarajevo – Tuzla.
It should be said that the amendments to the Law on Budgets of FBiH at the beginning of this year disempowered the Parliament of the Federation of BiH because it no longer makes decisions on temporary financing of the FBiH, but the Government of the Federation of BiH, writes Factor.
