ZAGREB, Oct 30 (Hina) - The proposed budget for next year weighing 80.2 billion kuna (approximately 10.69 billion euros) was endorsed by the Croatian Government at an extraordinary session on Wednesday night and forwarded to the
Croatian parliament.
ZAGREB, Oct 30 (Hina) - The proposed budget for next year weighing
80.2 billion kuna (approximately 10.69 billion euros) was endorsed
by the Croatian Government at an extraordinary session on Wednesday
night and forwarded to the Croatian parliament. #L#
If the amounts of repayments on foreign loans as well as those for
bonds issued, valued at 7.67 billion kuna (over one billion euros),
are added to the above-mentioned figure this would bring the 2003
budget to 87.879 billion kuna (11 billion euros).
Budget priorities, therefore sectors that next year will be given
more funds from the state till are science and education, justice,
agriculture and economy-related ministries.
Smaller funds could be assigned to the Defence and Interior
Ministries.
Features of the budget for next year, as portrayed by Croatian
Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac, is a decrease in the budget deficit
and a slowing down of debts and more social sensitivity.
The budget foresees and increase in salaries by about 2.5 per cent
Crkvenac said. He added that this should include a growth of three
to four per cent which should be felt in net salaries and which would
be implemented through the amendments to the Income Tax Law.
Crkvenac pointed out that pensions would not fall.
(hina) sp ms