Pensioner fees and levies face scrutiny in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia

In Republika Srpska, the Health Insurance Fund (FZO) has continued to demand that foreign pensioners register with the Tax Administration to pay health insurance contributions. This new practice involves a 10.2 percent contribution rate, which critics and legal experts argue is a discriminatory interpretation of the law that affects approximately 10,000 vulnerable pensioners. Following public backlash and accusations that the levy is being used to fill budget gaps, the Minister has indicated that the decision will likely be revoked.

In Croatia, Member of Parliament Ivica Baksa has called for the total exemption of all retirees from the HRT (Croatian Radiotelevision) fee. Baksa criticized the current system, noting that the criteria for discounts are outdated, still utilizing a census from 2015. He highlighted that the monthly fee of 10.62 euros places a significant burden on low-income pensioners and single-person households, proposing that the state should compensate HRT for the lost revenue to ensure retirees are no longer financially burdened by the levy.