The Small Business Act assessment’s scoring model for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The governance structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) comprises the institutions of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the governments of the two territorial and administrative entities – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS) – as well as Brcko District (BD). At entity level, both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska have significant constitutional autonomy and regulate independently the matters which the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina has not assigned to the state government. The competences of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina are prescribed by Article III, paragraph (1) of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The competences of the entities are prescribed by the same article, in paragraph (2). Paragraph (3) of the article stipulates that all government competences not expressly assigned to the state-level government belong to the entities. The entities’ parliaments have jurisdiction over a range of policies, among them healthcare, education, agriculture, culture, labour, police and internal affairs. Both entities have a president, prime minister and 16 ministries. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is furthermore divided into ten federal units (cantons), each with its own constitutions that prescribe their legislative, executive and judiciary authority, as well as the functioning of government authorities.