ECONOMY AND PARA-FISCAL LEVIES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Abstract

The system of para-fiscal levies implies different types of benefits or compensation and payment of citizens and companies for the use of goods or services of state administration which are para-fiscal sources of income of the state. The main characteristics of para-fiscal levies are: they do not originate from all tax payers, but only from members of certain social groups that are linked to some common economic or social interests; they are not part of the budget funds and not regulate them fiscal authorities; they have the character of destined public revenues, as they regularly represent a dedicated revenue whit which a specific task of economic or social character would be solved; they represent a secondary tax levy, which means that they exist along with the country’s tax levy, to draw funds from the same economic resources and to have almost the same economic effects, as well as the collection of taxes; they shall be paid on the basis of laws and decisions or decision of the competent authorities (general obligation) or by contract (a specific levy, ie. an individual obligation); they shall be paid in the event of use of property of general interest and / or services of state administration; they represent giving of money, which is always direct, ie. giving cash on the basis of the decision and with the issuance of a receipt of payment (receipt from a box office or bank). Para-fiscal levies should be understood as fees that economic operators and citizens pay for the use of certain goods or services. These are not taxes and they do not serve to fill the budget. However, in Bosnia and Herzegovina the biggest part of para-fiscal levies is used as a parallel budget revenue, as revenue for the operation of the costly administrative apparatus. A large number of studies on para-fiscal levies in Bosnia and Herzegovina showed that they have a negative impact on economic growth and development. Basically para-fiscal levies, for business entities at higher levels of government, can be grouped into 25 fee and tax groups, and in 9 groups of special fees and membership fees (federal administrative fees, federal court fees, water fees, road fees, forest fees, environmental fees, fees for protection against natural and other disasters).