Opposition MPs said they did not believe that the government's proposal to increase the nontaxable part of salary by 100 kuna from 1,500 to 1,600 kuna would help citizens. This particularly could not help those with lower wages, they said.
Opposition deputies also criticised the proposal to abolish a tax on dividends, claiming that this would only encourage the withdrawal of the capital from the country rather than efforts to attract more foreign investors.
Deputies of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) hit back, claiming that the Opposition was now trying to accuse the government of what the parties of the previous government coalition had failed to do.
Later in the evening the debate turned into a fierce exchange of arguments between opposition MPs and HDZ official Luka Bebic, who was chairing the session, and Vladimir Seks who subsequently replaced him as chairman of the session, over the opposition's decision not to take part in voting on bills and accusations that Bebic and Seks violated the rules of the Sabor.
Earlier on Wednesday, the parliament supported draft amendments to the Air Traffic Law, which stipulate rules for for investigation and reporting in case of accidents in civilian air traffic in compliance with the European Union standards.
Clubs of parliamentary parties also discussed a bill on representation in industrial ownership rights.
Raising many objections to this government-sponsored draft, MPs demanded that it be considered in more than one reading.
The bill regulates the terms and conditions of representation of industrial ownership rights before the Intellectual Ownership Bureau. Individuals and companies with no fixed abode in Croatia would have to appoint their authorised representatives in this matter.