ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - Shortly before 3 am on Saturday the Croatian parliament ended a marathon debate on this year's draft state budget.
ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - Shortly before 3 am on Saturday the Croatian
parliament ended a marathon debate on this year's draft state budget.#L#
The 17-hour discussion with government representatives did not change
the opposition's stand that the budget is neither
development-oriented, nor socially sensitive, that it neglects some
parts of the country as well as some strategic projects, such as
employment and farmland irrigation.
The parliamentary majority insisted that the budget was
development-oriented and implementable, but that it was significantly
limited by the 6.5 billion kuna of financial obligations that the
previous government had transferred into this year.
This year's budgetary revenue is projected at 79.5 billion kuna, which
is 6.4 percent more than last year, while expenditures are projected
at 84.9 billion kuna, an increase of 5.7 percent.
The deficit of the consolidated central state is projected at 4.5
percent of GDP, while the budgetary deficit accounts for 2.7 percent
of GDP.
The parliament will take a vote on the draft budget on Wednesday.
Parliament president Vladimir Seks said early this morning that some
200 amendments to the draft budget had already been submitted.
This morning the parliament also discussed the final text of a bill on
the execution of the budget.
(Hina) rml