A 2-day conference entitled “Chances for Progress: 2020 Vision for BiH”, organized by the America-Bosnia Foundation and the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, was held in the beginning of this week at Sarajevo.
The conference was attended by representatives of state and entity ministries, the Parliaments, legal sector, political parties, chambers of commerce, companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, universities, non-governmental organizations and the media who discussed the chances for social and economic reforms ad their implementation in our country.
The aim was to provide an opportunity to the participants in aiding to create a joint vision of 2020 for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Through the participants’ addresses, positive examples were emphasized in BiH, which is precisely how Dr. Saša Toperi? characterized the initiative of the Institute for Youth Development KULT on introducing changes in the Law on VAT, i.e. introducing a system of paying for VAT after charging and not after issuing invoices. He evaluated the initiative as a brave and argumented move of youth ready for positive changes.
The positive changes in BiH were welcomed by the U.S. Ambassador, but she also warned that the decision of domestic authorities to make progress has to be followed by concrete actions.
Prime Minister of FBiH Fadil Novali? addressed the participants as well, and he discussed the process of implementation of the Reform Agenda and emphasized that a third of the Agenda has already been realized as well as that in this year the focus is placed on improving the business environment.
The American Senator Roger Wicker addressed a written message to the conference participants and emphasized that the USA has grave concerns about the sovereignty, stability, recovery and the future prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “After my first visit to your country in 1995, you have made incredible progress towards establishing a stable, democratic and economically sustainable country. Still, it will take more than the international community and BiH leaders to preserve the momentum” – emphasized Wicker.
The U.S. Deputy State Secretary for European and Eurasian relations Hoyt Yee, who held the final address, emphasized that BiH should use the current devotion of the international community and decisively introduce reforms, but not just the economic and social ones stipulated in the Reform Agenda.
The conference was attended by a representative of the Institute for Youth Development KULT.
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