Bosnia's central government approves interim financing for Q3

Bosnia's central government approved on Tuesday 237.5 million marks ($136 million) in temporary financing for the third quarter, as the finance minister urged the presidency to adopt the 2019 budget proposal. Nine months after a general election, the government is still working in a caretaker capacity because political divisions have made it impossible to form a new cabinet.

Finance Minister Vjekoslav Bevanda urged Bosnia's three-man inter-ethnic presidency to discuss the government's 2019 budget proposal. "I call on the presidency to adopt a budget proposal for 2019 so that we can switch to regular financing," Bevanda told reporters after a government meeting.

The $136 million in quarterly financing was the same as for the previous two quarters. The main disagreement between the Serb, Croat and Bosniak members of the tripartite presidency is over whether Bosnia should pursue NATO membership.

While the Bosniak main party, advocating NATO integration, is halting the formation of a new central cabinet, the Serb and Croat parties are blocking the work of the national parliament. Bosnia is made up of two autonomous regions, the Serb Republic and the Federation dominated by Bosniaks and Croats, which are linked via a weak central government.

The Serb Republic has formed a new government but the Federation, where no political party or coalition won a clear majority, is still struggling to form its own government. ($1 = 1.744 Bosnian marka)

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