The decision by the High Representative of the international community in Bosnia who ordered the allocation of 12.5 million Bosnian Marks for financing the 2022 General Elections came into force on Tuesday after it was published on the official website of the Office of the High Representative (OHR).
The Decision on Approving the Allocation of Funds for the Purpose of Covering Expenditures Related to the 2022 General Elections in BiH states that “the authorities in charge of proposing the Law on Budget of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina shall “ensure that the amount specified hereinafter is reflected in the proposed Law on Budget of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
It says the decision “shall come into effect immediately and shall be published on the official website of the Office of the High Representative and in the “Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina” without delay.”
“The allocation and use of the amount of BAM 12.528.000,00 for the purpose of covering the expenditures of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the holding the “2022 General Elections” in accordance with the expenditure structure specified in the Central Election Commission requests of 18 April 2022 no. 07-1-16-1-259-10/22, of 6 May 2022 no. 07-1-16-1-259-11/22 and of 25 May 2022, no. 07-1-16-1-259-12/22, is hereby approved,” Article 1 of the “Decision Enacting the Decision on Approving the Allocation of Funds for the Purpose of Covering Expenditures Related to the 2022 General Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
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In Article 2, it is determined that the funds referred to in the previous article “shall be provided regardless of the source of the income including but not limited to transferred surplus revenue exceeding expenditures from previous fiscal years or any other source.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina is hereby authorized to transfer funds charged as a fee for the licenses issued for the use of the radio frequency spectrum to provide services through the mobile access systems,” it also says.
Article 3 instructs the Central Election Commission to compile the reports on the funds spending, as part of its regular reporting and within the time limits prescribed in accordance with the provisions of Article 22 of the Law on Financing of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Article 4 says the funds approved under this Decision shall be included in the Law on Budget of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2022.
In Article 5, the High Representative tasked the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina with “the immediate implementation of this Decision.”
“In addition, each and every administrative step required to be made or taken under the applicable laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to implement this decision, is hereby deemed to have been made and taken in proper and due form. The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina will start its activities to enable the timely holding of the 2022 General Elections forthwith,” it says.
In Article 6, the High Representative repealed the earlier “Decision on Approving the Temporary Use of a Part of the Funds Charged for the Licenses Issued for the Use of a Radio Frequency Spectrum to Provide Services through the Mobile Access Systems” which was adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers on Monday.
“The Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication on the website of the Office of the High Representative and shall be published in the “Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina” without delay,” Article 7 says.
