Article
After identifying a pressing issue in their communities, EDVACAY Fellows Amina Bašić, Muris Terzić, and Vernes Babić launched the project “Kol’ko košta papir?” (How Much Does a Piece of Paper Cost?) to highlight the unequal administrative fee charges for basic documents among students and unemployed individuals in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The initiative aimed to advocate for free document certification regardless of a person’s place of residence, recognizing that seemingly small administrative costs often create real barriers for young people pursuing education or employment.
The project was inspired by the fellows’ personal experiences navigating inconsistent practices within local administrations. While some municipalities, such as Bihać and Novi Travnik, followed the law and granted fee exemptions, others, including Bosanski Petrovac, Breza, and Visoko, continued to charge fees without exception.
Research, Data Collection, and Public Campaign
To comprehensively examine the issue, the fellows conducted field research across five municipalities. They followed the entire procedure for certifying documents—both with and without local residency—while also conducting interviews and surveys with young people affected by these fees.
Building on the skills gained during the first module of the EDVACAY program, the team submitted multiple Freedom of Access to Information (FOIA) requests to collect official data on administrative fee amounts and exemption practices.
The fellows shared their findings on social media through visually engaging materials, including infographics and short videos, published across Facebook and Instagram. In total, the public campaign featured 21 posts, reaching 2,888 Instagram accounts and generating 17,250 total views.
Dialogue With Local Government
A key component of the project was direct communication with local authorities. Through closed meetings with officials, the fellows presented the results of their research and emphasized the inconsistency of administrative fee collection practices across municipalities.
These efforts led to concrete steps forward: decision-makers from the Municipal Council of Bosanski Petrovac and the City Council of Visoko committed to presenting the findings to their respective councils and initiating actions to harmonize local practices with legal provisions.
Strong Media Visibility
Throughout the project, the fellows received significant media attention. They appeared live on TV USK, Radio Bosanski Petrovac, Radio USKA, Radio Bihać, and Face TV, with additional coverage by N1 Television and Federal Television. During these appearances, they presented their field research, shared examples from municipalities across the Federation, and highlighted the importance of abolishing administrative fees for students and unemployed individuals.
