ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Former finance minister Mato Crkvenac said on Wednesday that all information on debts burdening this year's budget was known to the public long ago and that the principal sum of the debt plus interest totalled
18 billion kuna.
ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Former finance minister Mato Crkvenac said on
Wednesday that all information on debts burdening this year's budget
was known to the public long ago and that the principal sum of the
debt plus interest totalled 18 billion kuna.#L#
Crkvenac could not say which newly discovered debts the new government
is referring to.
The Ivo Sanader government postponed a discussion on a draft budget
for this year from 2 pm to 7 pm today.
Government spokesman Ratko Macek explained the postponement with
problems in efforts to define the budget, caused by the irresponsible
spending of the former government, extra-budgetary loans, and
financial obligations, which he said had been incurred last year but
whose payment had been transferred to this year. Macek said that the
government should pay 15.2 billion kuna of the principal sum and
another five billion kuna of interest.
Crkvenac told the press on the phone that all financial obligations
from last year had been clarified and settled at a recent meeting
between the incumbent prime minister and his predecessor.
"If there was a transfer of costs, which was not discussed at the
time, I do not know about it, but I don't believe that it is a
significant amount," Crkvenac said. He added that he would seriously
discuss the issue only when the new government stated precise amounts
and identified the ministries which incurred the debts.
(Hina) rml sb