ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) on Tuesday opposed the government's plan to decide on the proposed national budget for this year next week, arguing that the time frame was too short.
ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) on Tuesday
opposed the government's plan to decide on the proposed national
budget for this year next week, arguing that the time frame was too
short.#L#
The government has announced it will propose that the draft budget be
discussed at the fourth session of parliament, which starts on
Wednesday.
HSP vice-president Miroslav Rozic told reporters that the government
was actually planning to have the budget adopted under urgent
procedure and that it was not going to seriously consider proposed
amendments, but would reject them.
Rozic pointed out that there was no need for the hasty adoption of the
budget because of the existence of the Decision on Temporary
Financing.
He said that the draft budget was badly prepared and that the
announced lower rate of economic growth and increase in public
spending were unacceptable.
HSP president Anto Djapic called on the government to say whether a
debt of 6.5 billion kuna, which was run up by the former government at
the end of its term, was illegal.
Djapic recalled that this accusation had been raised by the ruling
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) at the first session of the new
parliament, and that after meeting former ministers, members of the
new government had concluded that the borrowing was necessary and in
accordance with the law.
Djapic said that proposed cuts in budgetary funds for the work of the
parliament showed that the government intended to marginalise the
legislature.
(Hina) vm sb