18.02.2020. CIP AND MF UNZE: DISCUSSION ON THE DRAFT LAW ON BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE

The Government of FBIH, i.e. its Ministry of Crafts, Development and Entrepreneurship, hosted an expert public hearing on the subject of the preliminary draft of the Law on Entrepreneurial Infrastructure in FBIH. The debate was held at the IBIS Sarajevo hotel, and after the opening address of the Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Fadil Novalić and the draft law itself were addressed by the line minister Amir Zukić, the secretary of the ministry Dr. Jozo Bejić, and the main determinants of the law were presented by the UNDP expert involved in the drafting of this regulation, Prof. Dr. Bahrija Umihanić from the UNTZ Faculty of Economics. Representatives of the academic community, development agencies, chambers of commerce, professional associations, business zones, technology parks and other key stakeholders participated in the discussion by invitation. Prof. Petković, who as a representative of the MF and CIP UNZE, participated in this meeting at the invitation of the FBIH Government, emphasized the importance that, after years of work on the development of business zones, technology parks, incubators, etc. form and came to the text of the Law that should regulate a very important development area in the FBIH. As Prof. Petković said, "We are witnesses and participants in the process that in the previous 25 years at FBIH led to a tremendous transformation in the establishment, the way of working, and other elements of the company's life cycle. It is clear that new technologies (CNC, CAD, CAP; CAM, etc.) have brought new business premises and some have managed and survived (Krka, Revoz, FIAT, Arcelor Mittal,...). Some areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina that have understood the new business philosophy have "exploded in business", such as the Vitez Business Zone (PC 96), Tesanj and its business zones and systems, zones and businessmen in Gradačac, Gračanica, etc., Technology Park INTERA Mostar, some are just developing intensively and such legislation will help them to move forward even faster and stronger. Commenting on certain articles of the Law, Prof. Petković gave suggestions for their improvement and praised the project team and the line ministry for the preliminary draft of this Law. This law seeks to facilitate business for small and medium-sized enterprises that dominate in this area. The text of the Preliminary Draft Law on Entrepreneurial Infrastructure in the Federation of BiH was prepared by the Federal Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Working Group and Local Integrated Development Project (LlD).