The Government of the Republic of Srpska approved today during its 6th session held in Banja Luka the Draft Law on the City of Foča following the urgent procedure which regulates the area, competencies, bodies and ways of financing of the City of Foča.

The prescribed conditions for changing the status of the Municipality of Foča to the City of Foča have been met. The Municipality of Foča upon the  Decision of the Municipal Assembly of Foča on January 29, 2026, initiated the procedure for granting the status of a city and submitted the decision to the Government of the Republic of Srpska and information and data justifying such a request.

Along with the Decision of the Foča Municipal Assembly, a study on justification of the request for acquiring the status of a city was submitted which contains all relevant sections on general characteristics, historical overview, public institutions and enterprises, economic and social conditions, tourist, agricultural, cultural and civil organizations, public infrastructure, communal activities, environment, spatial planning, safety, and all other relevant data about Foča Municipality. 

The Mayor of Foča pointed out in the decision of the Foča Municipal Assembly that the conditions established by the law for granting the status of the City of Foča have been met, because the Municipality of Foča represents a unique geographical, social, economic, historical and territorial entity with an appropriate level of development in accordance with the Law on Local Self-Government which prescribes an exception according to which a municipality may acquire the status of a city regardless of the number of inhabitants and the status of a developed unit of local self-government, if the employment rate in the municipality is above the national average or if the municipality has had five study programs for at least ten years more than 2,000 students in these programs and a rich cultural and historical heritage.

It is worth noting that there are two higher education institutions in Foča municipality: the Faculty of Medicine in Foča as part of the University of East Sarajevo and the Orthodox Theological Faculty "St. Basil of Ostrog" in Foča. Also, Foča municipality is home to many natural and cultural sites that represent significant resources and the basis for the development of tourism, economy and overall social development. 

The "Sutjeska" National Park is particularly noteworthy, as the largest and oldest national park in Bosnia and Herzegovina with an area of ​​16,052.34 hectares which is a member of the European Parks Federation. The Perućica rainforest, a protected nature reserve and one of the best-preserved European rainforests is a part of the National Park.

The Government of the Republika Srpska today also approved the Draft Law on Amendments and Changes to the Law on Territorial Organization of the Republic of Srpska for the reason of its harmonization with the Law on the City of Foča.

The Government of the Republika Srpska adopted the Draft Law on a Special Expropriation Procedure for Construction of the Main Gas Pipeline Šepak - Novi Grad and the Glamočani - Banja Luka - Mliništa Highway under the urgent procedure.

This Law regulates the special procedure for expropriation of real estate for the purpose of construction of the main gas pipeline and highway, as a project of strategic  importance for the Republic of Srpska, financing of the execution of geodetic and technical works for the needs of special expropriation procedure and its implementation and other issues of importance for construction of the main gas pipeline and highway.

These projects are important for the citizens and better economic and business progress of the Republic of Srpska.

The Government accepted the Information on the need to finance projects from Public Investment funds in ​​six local communities in the Republic of Srpska: Višegrad, Kneževo, Kostajnica, Lopare, Šekovići and Novo Goražde. These are municipalities that have applied for support from the Government for the projects important for the development of their local communities. All of the above projects, for which it is necessary to allocate BAM 10.6 million, will be financed in accordance with the availability of the funds of Republic of Srpska within 'Other budget expenditures' under the 'Public Investment' item.

Among the projects that were considered was the Information on the need to finance the project of Equipping, Reconstruction and Expansion of the preschool education facility "Neven" in the municipality of Višegrad, for which BAM 1,000,000 will be provided from the Budget of the Republic of Srpska from the position of public investments, in accordance with the possibilities. Currently, 120 children are staying in this institution, divided into 5 groups, while over 70 children are registered on the waiting list. The need to expand the capacity of this institution was identified. 

Public investment funds, in accordance with the possibilities, will also support projects in the area of ​​the municipality of Kneževo in total amount of BAM 2.6 million. These are the projects: adaptation of the municipal administration building, adaptation of the sports hall, adaptation of the elementary school building, as well as adaptation of the fire department building and asphalting of roads.

In the area of ​​the municipality of Kostajnica, financing is planned for several projects that are important for the local population and total amount of projects planned for 2026 is BAM 2.6 million. From public investments in 2026, funds are planned for rehabilitation of the building of the Primary School "Petar Mećava" Kostajnica, for construction of the building for the municipality of Kostajnica and for reconstruction of the National Library. The plan also refers to construction of a new road to the secondary school and construction of distribution water supply network in Kostajnica.

In the municipality of Lopare, financial assistance from public investments is planned for implementation of the project Construction of an access road to the Tourist-Recreational-Excursion Center "Busija" in the amount of approximately BAM 3,000,000. In its application for financial support, the municipality of Lopare listed this project as one of the most significant for economic, tourist and demographic development of the municipality.

The public investment funds will be used to provide financial support for completion of the Cultural and Youth Center in the municipality of Novo Goražde in accordance with the possibilities. The construction of this center began in 2019 and additional BAM 900,000 is needed for its completion.

In the municipality of Šekovići, projects in total amount of BAM 474,000 will be supported which include construction of a business facility - a utility building in the amount of 250,000 and reconstruction of the central heating installations with a boiler room in the building of "Jovan Dučić" primary school in the amount of BAM 224,000.

The Government of the Republic of Srpska adopted a Decision granting consent to the Public Enterprise on Anti-Hail Prevention ("Protivgradna Preventiva Republike Srpska" a.d. Gradiška), to install three automatic anti-hail stations (APGS) in the area of ​​the city of Bijeljina.

The Public Enterprise "Protivgradna Preventiva Republika Srpska" a.d. Gradiška is obliged to obtain the necessary permits from the competent authorities prior to construction of the facilities, and to notify the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management about the installation of each of the aforementioned automatic anti-hail stations.

Within the framework of the Project "Establishment of a Technical Meteorological Service and Modernization of the Anti-Hail Protection System of the Republic of Srpska", the construction of an APGS network is planned throughout the territory of the Republic of Srpska.

The Government issued this decision, recognizing that hail protection activities are of general interest to the Republic of Srpska, and that the Project itself is of exceptional importance, not only for the hail protection of the Republic of Srpska, but also for the Hydrometeorological Institute of the Republic of Srpska, Civil Protection, agriculture, water management, electricity management and a number of other entities in the Republika Srpska, in terms of faster and more efficient exchange of data important for the work of all these entities, especially in the part related to upcoming climate change and more efficient protection and rescue of people and material goods from natural and other disasters.

The Government of the Republic of Srpska adopted the Information on provision of financial resources for obtaining a construction permit to begin construction of the Science and Technology Park of the Republika Srpska.

The Government has tasked the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education and the University of Banja Luka to provide financial resources in the amount of BAM 1,106,900.00 including VAT for obtaining a building permit to begin construction of the Science and Technology Park of Republika Srpska. It has also tasked the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education and the University of Banja Luka to monitor the implementation of the project and to regularly inform the Government about the activities undertaken.