GOVERNMENT WILL PAY TRIAL FEES FOR PENSIONERS -- PRIME MINISTER

ZAGREB, Feb 20 (Hina) - During question time at the Croatian parliament, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Wednesday announced the government could pay court fees for pensioners who, because of their property qualifications, would not be exempt from paying 900 kuna of court fees at the Administrative Court. Knowing that court fees can also be a problem for pensioners exceeding property qualifications, the government is considering to pay these fees, without breaking the law, Racan said. Pensioners who initiated proceedings before the Administrative Court because of the non-harmonisation of pensions under a decision by the Constitutional Court, and lost the suits for formal reasons, recently began receiving bills for court fees. Racan said that pensioners had been cheated several times in several ways, and warned that now (in cases before the Administrative Court) they had been deceived because they had not been told what was behind this. He also said that 2.1 million kuna was being paid to settle debts to pensioners. Racan announced that the government was considering paying pensioners' court fees in reply to a question by MP Damir Kajin (Istrian Democratic Assembly), who asked what the government planned to do for the 26,000 pensioners who had to pay 900 kuna each for proceedings before the Administrative Court. Kajin announced his party would suggest amendments to the Law on Fees and ask that pensioners, the unemployed and all those receiving guaranteed salaries be exempt from paying court fees. (hina) lml