CORONAVIRUS

Novalić: 12,700 workers lost their jobs

Čerkez appealed to politicians: Stop calling us heroes in white, improve conditions

MPs accept SDP's draft of the new corona law. Archive

Piše: E. Halimić

At yesterday's session, the House of Representatives of the Federation Parliament supported several proposals and draft laws. Among other things, the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Contributions was adopted, which extends the deadline until December 31, 2022 for the payment of contributions on a privileged basis.

Although it was on the agenda, MPs did not consider the Bill on Police Officers, as it was withdrawn by FB&H Prime Minister Fadil Novalić before the debate began.

The Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Principles of Local Self-Government in FB&H was adopted, as well as the SDP Law on Amendments to the Law on Mitigation of Negative Economic Consequences Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic, and the Draft Law on Entrepreneurial Infrastructure in FB&H. The deputies also discussed the Draft Law on the Gas Pipeline "Southern Interconnection of B&H and Croatia".

A discussion on the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic was held at the session, and on that occasion, Prime Minister Novalić also addressed the deputies.

- The tape with the pandemic started on March 16th. We closed the state and that had a bad effect on the economy, but a very good one on health care. As of March 16th, more precisely on May 5th, there were 27,500 fired workers. Since May 5th, the number of our employees has been growing, and today we are at minus 12,700 workers - Novalić emphasized.

Goran Čerkez, a member of the Crisis Staff of the Federal Ministry of Health, also addressed the deputies, emphasizing that health care is not in a "lockdown", and that all those who need to be examined will be examined.

- Stop calling us heroes in white, but improve working conditions, hire new doctors. The condition is difficult, however, it has been improving in the last four weeks. This decline is because of the measures we have introduced. We have not introduced a "lockdown", but we have a continuity of measures - Čerkez pointed out.

He added that B&H did not have the death rate from coronavirus like Italy, where trucks transported death people.

- We will see how well we answered when all this is over. The cantons do not procure enough tests and we do not test enough - Čerkez emphasized.