Beside the Federal Ministry of Education and Science that is planning more extensive allocations for students in 2012, all other Federal ministries do not display any serious budget interest in youth population of FBiH.
The 2012 will bring no governmental commitment to youth either, not the concrete, budget one, anyway. Judging by the replies of the Federal ministries regarding the planning of funds for youth in budget 2012, delivered to the Institute for Youth Development KULT, the following year, youth will be the population with the least budget allocations from the Federal budget. On inquiry on following the Youth Law of FBiH, and in relation to planning of funds necessary for implementing the provisions of this law, 9 Federal ministries delivered their answers, while 7 of them withheld information to the public. The answers were delivered by the following Federal ministries: 1. of work and social policy, 2. of justice, 3. of traffic and communication, 4. of internal affairs, 5. of trade, 6. of development, entrepreneurship and crafts, 7. of physical planning, 8. of education and science, 9. of culture and sports. The following ministries withheld their answers: 1. of environment and tourism, 2. of agriculture, water management and forestry, 3. of displaced persons and refugees, 4. of health, 5. of finance, 6. of energy, mining and industry and 7. of issues of veterans and disabled veterans.
The delivered answers will be listed in order.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy informs in its notice that in the Action Plan of Employment in FBiH for 2010-2013, unemployed youth were recognised as the key target group. However, for this key target group in 2011 there were no funds allocated for implementing Action Plan employment measures and, as stated by Ministar ?amber, “no activities could be realised.” For 2012, from the total of 900,000 BAM that the Ministry had in plan for implementing employment programme measures, according to the Budget Proposal of the Federation of BiH, the government allocated only 360,000 BAM. Considering that the Federation has 368,922 unemployed persons in their unemployment lists, the funds it provided for employment in the following year can be described as miserable: Not even 1 BAM per an unemployed person. How much of the 360,000 BAM will be allocated to youth, remains disputable.
The Federal Ministry of Justice replied in short and clear terms: “This Ministry did not plan funds for transfer due to austerity measures in 2012“, directing us thus to the Government of FBiH that directed us to “the ministry liable in this issue”. Sadly, the liable Ministry for youth issues still does not exist, since it has not taken over the responsibilities from the Youth Law of FBiH, so that the Government practically had nowhere to direct us to. However, the Ministry of Justice, as all other ministries that are not explicitly obliged by the Law to develop a youth programme, has the opportunity to do something for this population, considering the numerous areas in which the youth can acquire support: from scholarship, enabling apprenticeship to graduates, alleviation from compensations for registration costs of (youth) associations, etc. However, the Ministry decided to follow austerity measures.
The Federal Ministry of Traffic and Communications noted that it was not determined “neither by Constitution, nor by the Law as liable in either area of the youth sector listed in article 25 of Youth Law of FBiH.” Despite the lack of jurisdiction, they managed to do something. In 2011 they employed a volunteer-apprentice, a graduate economist, and for 2012 there are funds planned to employ a volunteer. The Ministry enacted “the necessary plan and programme of training for apprentices and volunteers.”
The Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs acknowledged some liabilities of the Youth Law and stated that it “pays attention to certain areas, related to youth issues”. As a concrete example of support to youth, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) in the budget for 2012 planned funds for employing five civil servants as apprentices.
The Federal Ministry of Trade underlined that “for the period from 2008-2009 it employed four volunteers”. However, it also noted that “the budget of this Ministry for 2012 did not provide for funds for employing volunteers, or funds for grants or transfers with the intention of supporting talented or youth categories that are socially at risk.”
The Federal Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, as the notice states, provides full support to the development of youth sector and youth policies. Strategic aims of the Ministry are defined in the project entitled “Development of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship in FBiH” that involves reducing administrative obstacles, promoting entrepreneurship, financial support, expert training for small and medium entrepreneurship, technical development, etc. In the aforementioned, a significant position is reserved for the youth entrepreneurship and that “the Ministry should plan incentives for youth in its activities”. The Ministry, as stated in its reply, so far provided support for youth that are just starting their own business, as well as to entrepreneurs that employ youth. This practice will continue the following year. The Ministry also hosted the Global Week of Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative that aimed to “inspire youth to accept innovations, creativity and imagination and turn their ideas into reality.” This will continue during the following year. However, the Ministry did not state the amount of funds it allocated for these activities nor the amount of funds planned for development of youth entrepreneurship in 2012.
The Federal Ministry of Physical Planning reported that it “did not plan for budget funds for implementing Youth Law of FBiH”.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Science can present a positive example to other ministries in the Federal Government. The Ministry states that in 2011 it implemented programmes from the area of education and science, directed exclusively towards youth, in amount of 1,840,000 BAM. The programmes of this Ministry included accommodation and meals for students, support to national and international students’ manifestations, support to talented students and work of students’ organisations, incentives to education of the Romani, co-financing the Fund for Student Loans, aid for libraries of high educational institutions, awards for students for accomplished results, etc. When it comes to 2012, the Ministry states that the budget framework planned for approximately the same amount of funds for the stated and similar programmes. Even though perhaps there is no strategic approach of directing these funds, the activities implemented by this Ministry are a breath of fresh air in a stale scene of institutional (lack of) care for youth in FBiH. We hope that these funds, planned in the Budget framework, will be approved by the Government.
The Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports, in charge of youth and Law of Ministries of FBiH and partly the Law on Youth of FBiH were delivered with a notice on approach according to audit recommendations related to establishing criteria for awards of funds awarded to youth projects, considering that in the previous years the Ministry financed activities that are directed towards youth and that the auditors had certain remarks for distributing these funds. The ministry stated in the notice that there is no particular transfer for youth organisations but that within the transfer for youth associations the right to apply is available to all associations, which includes youth associations as well. “The ministry will develop particular criteria for supporting youth when transfer for youth is provided and adopted by the Federal Government of BiH”, is stated in the reply of the Ministry.
The readiness of most of ministries to public cooperation can be regarded as positive, and it was expressed by delivering information on budget allocations for resolving problems and requirements of youth and particularly due to the fact that the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports, that was entrusted by Law with the greatest responsibility for youth in FBiH, still hasn’t received a transfer for youth by the FBiH Government. Perhaps the stated 6 apprentices, that will be lucky enough to perform apprenticeship in the Federal ministries, will be the best indicator of the vision of development of the Federation in this area.
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