There are many ambiguities in the Act, and one thing is clear – caterers are not treated well
The Law on the Control and Limited Use of Tobacco, Tobacco and Other Smoking Products in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will soon be applied. The federal law entered into force in May of last year, with the beginning of application one year from the date of entry into force. Although there are still many uncertainties regarding the application of the law (where it will be possible to smoke and where not, whether it will be possible to smoke electronic cigarettes or not, which areas will be designated for smokers…) it seems that the Law will “reach out” in are going, which is why restaurateurs are left with an adjustment period of another half year.
President of the Section of Hospitality Activities of UP Zenica, Senad Džanić, in a statement for Naša Rijeka, pointed out that caterers are not against the Law, but that they also fear for their financial security.
– We are all for something that benefits the health of our fellow citizens, workers and ultimately ourselves. However, restaurateurs are afraid that the new law will have a financial impact on their business, because after the corona in which we were all brought almost to the begging stick, there followed the war in Ukraine and the rise in prices, and then there was the outflow of the workforce. Restaurateurs today live from day to day, no one knows how the Law will turn out after a year, but at the beginning it will certainly affect our business. This was the case in all states where a similar law was introduced, and a significant number of restaurateurs had to close their establishments. In the current situation, even the slightest drop in the market will cause big problems for our restaurateurs – said Džanić.
