Strengthening the role of local government in the conduct of economic policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

This paper discusses the possibility of major powers in the field of economic development of the municipality as 
the local communities.  Improvement of process for greater transfer of certain powers from the cantonal and 
entity levels to municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
Although many disciplines use the term "transfer of authority", in the context of economic development it refers to 
a multidimensional process of consultation on whose effects municipalities with resources that enable them to 
accelerated economic development, have direct benefits. The paper is based on the assumption that there is a 
political, legal and administrative constraints for accelerated development in most municipalities in country. 
Although these limitations may vary among individual municipalities, due to their different degrees of 
development. Therefore, this paper raises the question of how to realize the possibility of greater independence 
of local government in decision-making on all issues of its economic development as an element of sustainable 
development, taking greater autonomy of local government as a starting point. In developing this theory, it will be 
essential to investigate the theoretical background of idea of greater independence in policy of economic 
development and its relationship with the concept of sustainable development. It will also be investigated if socio
political system of B&H allows the possibility of a transfer of powers from a higher level, where the powers 
currently lies, to the local government and does it support the sustainable development on a level that is not just 
theoretical. Another aspect of this research is focused on local communities and on their ability to initiate and 
implement the process of accelerated economic development.