Speaker of Bosnia's House of Representatives Denis Zvizdic slammed the Government of the Federation (FBiH) entity over a decision on allocating the funds for local communities to tackle the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, calling the proportion in which the funds were distributed “discriminatory.”

“I am going through the chart showing of the distribution of funds that the FBiH Government allocated for cities and municipalities ‘as assistance in taking preventive measures to combat COVID-19 and the recovery from the consequences caused by the pandemic’, and I cannot believe that the FBiH Government adopted such illogical, incomprehensible and unfair decision on allocation of funds for cities and municipalities,” Zvizdic wrote on his Twitter.

The FBiH Government passed two decision, one on the allocation of 9.8 million marks (nearly five million Euro) for its ten cantons and the other on the allocation of 11.2 million marks (approx 5.6 million Euros) for the budgets of cities and municipalities, to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences.

But, the proportion of the distributed funds, according to Zvizdic, was illogical and unfair.

While, among other local communities, the City of Cazin which has approximately 67,000 residents received 56,000 marks (about 28,000 Euros), Kiseljak Municipality with approximately 24,000 residents received 300,000 marks (about 150,000 Euros), Zvizdic wrote.

Also, he pointed out Novi Travnik Municipality with approximately 5,000 residents, which received 1.2 million marks (about 600,000 Euros).

“I think it is clear why this discriminatory decision must be changed so that every citizen of the FBiH is treated equally because the coronavirus does not recognise ethnic or political affiliation,” said Zvizdic.

“Therefore, to take the things back to the balance, general good must be above ethnic, local or partisan interests,” he added.