Employers in BiH, according to some estimates, currently lack 30.000 workers of various occupations, about 20.000 in the Federation of BiH, and about 10.000 in the Republika Srpska.
Adnan Smailbegovic, president of the FBiH Employers’ Association, said that work permits are issued at the state level and that so far a total of around 3.000 have been issued.
“I think that perhaps even more work permits for foreign workers have been issued in the Republika Srpska because they have simplified and liberalized the issuing procedures in contrast to the FBiH, and many companies decide to open companies in the Republika Srpska because of this, especially construction companies. In the FBiH, the procedures are very complex, they take a long time and it is really very difficult to complete the procedure. The workers mostly come from Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India,” explains Smailbegovic.
As he says, there is a need for workers, they are trying to talk to the authorities to speed up the procedures, but it is in the early stages.
Source: sarajevotimes.com
