ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - Representatives of the government, trade unions and employers agreed at a session of the Economic and Social Council on Thursday to start talks on the 2005 budget already in June, because the government had
proposed this year's budget without consultations with social partners due to a short time frame.
ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - Representatives of the government, trade unions
and employers agreed at a session of the Economic and Social Council
on Thursday to start talks on the 2005 budget already in June, because
the government had proposed this year's budget without consultations
with social partners due to a short time frame.#L#
The proposal for talks on next year's budget was put forward by the
government, which also indicated budget projections for the next three
years, Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor told reporters after the
session.
Council chairman Kresimir Sever pointed out that this year's budget,
which is expected to be adopted by parliament next week, had been
drawn up without consultations with trade unions, which claimed that
it was not development-oriented and said they were unhappy with a
projected GDP growth of 3.2 per cent.
The head of the Employers' Association, Ivica Mudrinic, described the
2004 budget as a budget of continuity, and said that social partners
would be able to influence the overall economic policy only next
year.
(Hina) vm sb