The Government of the Republic of Srpska approved today the Draft Law on Free Zones in Republic of Srpska during its 86^th regular session held in Banja Luka.

This Law regulates the conditions for the establishment and operation of free zones, activities that may be performed in the free zone and conditions for their performance, as well as termination of their operation. The main reason for enactment of the Law on Free Zones of the Republic of Srpska is to facilitate efficient operation of free zones which should contribute to improvement of the business environment and increase competitiveness necessary for attracting investments. It will also enable better utilization of industrial potentials and create conditions for introduction of new technologies and creation of new jobs which will be beneficial for the entire economy of the Republic of Srpska.

The Government of the Republic of Srpska passed the Decision on amending the Decision on the adoption of the 2020 Employment Action Plan of the Republic of Srpska.

Due to the adopted changes to the Employment Action Plan of the Republic of Srpska for 2020, the current funds planned in the amount of BAM 10,928,000.00 have been increased to BAM 16,901,414.30 and would facilitate employment of 3,292 persons instead of previously planned 2,209 persons.

The Government of the Republic of Srpska adopted the Information on the provision of social insurance for the workers in the “UNIS-Fabrika cijevi" a.d. Derventa” under bankruptcy. 

The Ministry of Finance has been instructed to provide funds in the total amount of BAM 358,557.67 from the 2020 Budget of the Republic of Srpska or from other sources of funds that are collected and distributed through the system of the single treasury account of the RS out of which the amount of 243,345.14 shall be used for the payment of unemployment insurance contributions for the purpose of exercising the rights of employees of the company "UNIS - pipe factory" a.d. Derventa at the Employment Bureau and the amount of 115,212.53 for the payment of contributions for pension and disability insurance to the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of the Republic of Srpska for 12 workers who shall meet the conditions for age pension due to that payment.

As for the remaining workers of the "UNIS - pipe factory" a.d. Derventa "in bankruptcy" who will subsequently meet the conditions for retirement, payment of funds on the account of contributions for pension and disability insurance will be made through individual payment of contributions according to the received decisions of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund.

The Government adopted the Information on the preparation of the Register of Incentives of the Republic of Srpska.

The aim of establishing the Register is to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of planned, approved and implemented funds for incentives to the economy both at the national and local level, the legal basis for their allocation, sources of funding, types and purposes of incentives including the information about who and in what amount received the funds. In this way, it is expected that better coordination and exchange of information between institutions that grant incentives and more transparent insight into approved and allocated funds for incentives would be achieved and also better statistical basis for the needs of the institutions of Republic of Srpska which would then serve as the basis for proposing measures for better distribution of incentives. The plan is to keep data on incentives at the national and local levels including information on the end users.

The Government of the Republic of Srpska adopted the Information on the need to engage and finance teaching assistants for students with disabilities in 2021.

The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Finance are in charge of providing funds for the period January-December 2021 in the amount of 2,000,000.00 BAM to finance assistants for students with development difficulties.

In order to enable better and more accessible education for students with disabilities, the Ministry of Education and Culture finances teaching assistants since the 2010/2011 school year who have until 2017 when engagement of teaching assistants was regulated by the Law on Primary Education, had been approved as a priority for students with autism and in individual cases for students with severe development difficulties.

Assistants are technical support to students and are engaged during the school year for a part-time job. The Ministry of Education and Culture in cooperation with the Pedagogical Institute implements the concept of inclusion in schools in Republic of Srpska which aspires to include children with special educational needs in regular primary schools.