Internal and External Obstacles to the Development of SMEs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This article describes the small and medium enterprise (SME) sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and other Western Balkan countries, and compares their development. The authors identify the levels of development achieved, remedial measures and activities for stimulating this sector. There is special emphasis on external and internal obstacles to small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in BiH. The authors conclude that in respect to SMEs BiH lags behind other countries in the region, where this sector has achieved dynamic development and a majority share in the employment market, exports and GDP. That said, there remains a need across the whole region to resolve obstacles in the domestic market, alongside initiating intensive activities aimed at introducing the SMEs to the Single European Market. For BiH, primary research has been carried out to determine the external and internal obstacles to SMEs in the country’s manufacturing sector. The key obstacles are identified, their intensity and grade determined, and they are classified into three groups. Factor analysis was used in determining six factors explaining external obstacles and two factors for internal obstacles. It has also been confirmed that other companies apart from manufacturing SMEs face broadly similar external obstacles, and that these obstacles are more in evidence when compared to the situation in other Western Balkan countries. Recommendations are offered to the Government of BiH and SME managements for removing the obstacles which have been identified.SMEs, manufacturing, obstacles, factor analysis, Western Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

Justification of criticism of the international financial institutions

As more than half a century has passed since the establishment of the international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank), this paper analyzes the opinion that these institutions have not accomplished their mission. They generally admit that they have not succeeded in the activities that they set out to accomplish, a propos of gathering funds for countries faced with economic gaps and helping them to maintain long term economic growth and development. We show that these financial institutions have done nothing to reduce poverty and financial disparities, to increase their own transparency, responsibility and management, especially with the public participation of developing countries, or to create a more effective loans system. In this paper the main goal of research is to explore the arguments pro and contra the strategic effect, policy, and working methodology of the international financial institutions in view of finding a solution to the global financial crisis and global prevalent financial problems, and also to consider the reasons for the justification or otherwise of their being part of the global financial system