The Government of Republic of Srpska approved
today during its 10th session held in Banja Luka, the Draft Law on Payment Services and
a set of accompanying reform laws that modernize the area of payment transactions
in accordance with highest standards and principles of international practice.
The set of laws that were approved under the urgent
procedure, in addition to the Draft Law on Payment Services include: Draft Law on Changes and Amendments to the Law on Electronic Money, Draft Law on Changes and Amendments to the Law on Internal Payment
Transactions, as well as the Draft Law on Changes and Amendments to the Law
on Microcredit Organizations.
The adoption of the new Law on Payment Services by the
National Assembly of Republic of Srpska will create conditions for
opening the payment services market in the Republic of Srpska to new service
providers, which will enable greater accessibility to payment services and execution of payment transactions, greater competition among service providers and lower prices for citizens and the business community as service users.
The importance of the set of laws is also reflected in creation of conditions for further development of electronic commerce which is closely linked to modern electronic payment models, the development of
which is further encouraged. The market will be improved by application of
modern technical achievements and technologies which will enable faster and
easier execution of payment transactions using non-cash instruments. Also,
clearly defined rights and prescribed obligations of all participants in
payment transactions will enable greater protection of payment service users.
In addition to domestic payment transactions, the set
of laws is also significant for international payment transactions because the
established laws are in line with the Payment Services Directive which
is one of key conditions for joining the SEPA payment system, which will
enable simpler and more convenient cross-border payments in euros.
The Proposal for the Payment Services Law is a reform
law in accordance with which system changes and adjustments to the
accompanying regulations on electronic money, domestic payment transactions and
microcredit organizations are made.
On 25 March 2026, the National Assembly of Republic of Srpska adopted the Draft Law on Payment Services which incorporated certain suggestions as the result of expert discussions and
additional analyses carried out by the Ministry of Finance and the Banking Agency of Republic of Srpska .
The Government has also adopted the Draft Law on
Electronic Identification, Trust Services in Electronic Business and Electronic
Documents of the Republic of Srpska under urgent procedure.
The main reason for adopting this Draft Law is to further
harmonise the legislation of the Republic of Srpska with the relevant European
Union regulations in this area, in particular with the eIDAS 2 Regulation. The Draft Law establishes modern and functional legal framework in the field of
electronic identification, trust services and electronic documents. Its also envisages establishment of the Agency for Information and Communication
Technologies of the Republic of Srpska as the competent supervisory body in the
field of electronic wallets for digital identity and the field of trust
services in the Republic of Srpska, as an institution with relevant competences
and professional capacities in the field of information and communication
technologies. In this way, an institutional framework for effective supervision
of trust service providers is provided, in accordance with the requirements of
European regulations. In addition, electronic identification is regulated
through the definition of an electronic wallet for digital identity and electronic
identification schemes, as well as trust services in the areas of: electronic
signature and electronic seal, electronic time stamp, electronic delivery,
website authentication, electronic storage of documents and data, electronic
confirmation of properties, and electronic documents are also regulated.
At today's session, the Government of Republic of Srpska
adopted the Regulation on the procedure for granting investment incentives.
This regulation regulates the procedure for granting
investment incentives, the method of submitting applications, the required
documentation, as well as other issues of importance for the procedure.
The aim of adopting the regulation is to encourage
investment by economic entities for the purpose of technological improvement of
the economy, increasing business efficiency, as well as supporting the
transition to a green and circular economy.
The Ministry will implement the procedure for granting
incentives through a public call, through two phases - reservation and payment
of incentives.
The regulation shall enable simplification of
procedures for business entities, by reducing the number of documents submitted
when applying for a public call.
The Government of the Republika Srpska adopted today
the Action Plan for Implementation of the Memorandum on Common Policies in
2026, between the Government of the Republic of Srpska and the Union of Employers
of Republic of Srpska signed on 5 February 2026, and adopted the Decision on Appointment of the Implementation Committee of the Government and Union of Employers of the Republika Srpska.
In the Action Plan for Implementation of the
Memorandum on Common Policies in 2026, the measures of the Government are spreead on to 14 institutions, with a total of 52
activities with precise dynamics of implementation of each individual
activity.
In order to monitor implementation of the defined
measures, an Implementation Committee shall be established, consisting of three
representatives from each signatory, and shall be appointed by the Government based on the proposal of the members of each signatory.
The implementation of the defined measures shall be
discussed at regular, quarterly meetings of the Implementation Committee, which
shall be held no later than 15 days from the end of each quarter.
All ministries and other institutions of the Republic of Srpska implementing the measures from the Action Plan for 2026 shall be
responsible, within their competence, for the first meeting of the
Implementation Committee of the Government and the
Union of Employers of the Republic of Srpska for preparation of a detailed
plan with deadlines for implementation of each measure.
All ministries and other institutions are obligated to give maximum commitment to implementation of all
measures provided in the Action Plan for 2026, in accordance with the defined
deadlines.
The Government accepted the Information on the need to
develop a Roadmap for improving the professional development of nursing
technicians in the Republic of Srpska for the period from 2026 to 2036, and
tasked the Minister of Health and Social Welfare to work on realization of priority goals in accordance with the Roadmap.
The document "Roadmap for Improvement of Professional Development of Medical Nurses/Technicians in the Republic of Srpska"
represents a strategic framework for its further development in the coming
decade. It includes standardization of services and competencies within
healthcare, the development of digital skills and telemedicine, as well as
strengthening management and leadership capacities in nursing sector. Special emphasis
is placed on strengthening the professional role and autonomy of medical nurses/technicians, as well as development of palliative care and improvement
of nursing in the community, with the aim of better supporting chronically ill
patients, the elderly and other vulnerable categories. For citizens, this means
more accessible and uniform healthcare, more prevention and less need for
hospitalization. The roadmap sets a clear strategic framework that relies on
the existing legislative and institutional system, while at the same time
improving the professional role of medical nurses – technicians, strengthening their
autonomy, standardizing the quality of work, developing leadership and
ensuring sustainability of the nursing workers.