prijava
SARAJEVO, March 16 (FENA) - At today's extraordinary session, the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted 18 conclusions on the measures to prevent the spread of the new (Covid-19) coronavirus. To date, 24 persons tested positive in BiH and about 2,000 are placed under medical monitoring.
The BiH Presidency member Šefik Džaferović requested the holding of the session, and Presidency member Milorad Dodik attended the session, while the BiH Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić presided over the session via video link from self-isolation, where he has been since returning from Canada.
As Džaferović confirmed to reporters after the session, all the authorities at all levels of government were present at the session and they briefed members of the Presidency on the status and measures taken in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.
He urged citizens to comply with the recommendations of the competent institutions managing this crisis and advised BiH citizens residing in other countries, especially those affected by the pandemic, not to travel to BiH without any urgent need.
"Those who have to come to BiH will then be subject to quarantine at border crossings and this issue will be addressed in more detail by the BiH Council of Ministers," Džaferović explained.
After the entity governments declared a state of disaster and a state of emergency, he expressed an expectation that the Council of Ministers would do the same at the state level at a session scheduled for tomorrow, which would change many things and simplify procedures and help BiH deal with the problem more effectively.
Džaferović added that the number of functioning border crossings for the movement of people and goods would be restricted, and the final decision on this matter will be made by the CoM.
The Presidency supported the idea to establish a quarantine at these border crossings and to deploy the Armed Forces to provide assistance as they would be responsible only for this segment, while other matters would be regulated by other competent institutions.
With regard to the arrival of foreign nationals in BiH, the decision on this issue will be updated on a daily basis in view of the spread of the pandemic to other countries from which travel to BiH is allowed for now.
Džaferović noted that the Presidency also discussed measures related to the impact on the economy and asked all those responsible to do everything possible to mitigate the negative consequences on the BiH economy.
The BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik believes that "the threat of coronavirus must not be diminished, given the fact that richer countries are threatened with the virus and that the pandemic can change our way of life."
He recalled that the countries of the region were closing their borders and it was of the utmost importance to harmonize measures that would meet this challenge, but above all to ensure that budget stability is maintained and that some relief is introduced to the business entities.
Dodik once again stated, "that the Central Bank should reduce the reserve requirement rate from 10 to five percent, thus freeing up the necessary funds for banks' liquidity and thus support the economy and the public sector, and to abolish the negative reserve requirement rate."
The Presidency session was attended by the BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegeltija, Minister of Security Fahrudin Radončić, Foreign Minister Bisera Turković, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Staša Košarac, as well as FBiH Prime Minister Fadil Novalić and the RS Prime Minister Radovan Višković.
(FENA) S. R.
