GOVT SENDS BILLS ON REDUCTION OF STATE OFFICIALS' SALARIES, MILITARY SERVICE TO PARLIAMENT

ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday proposed that the salaries of state and judicial officials remain at last year's level and that the salaries of the president of state, the heads of both parliamentary houses, the prime minister and government members be cut by 10 percent. The government today sent into urgent parliamentary procedure bills on changes to the Law on the Rights and Obligations of State Officials and the Law on the Salaries of Judges and Other Judicial Officials. According to the bills, this year's basic salary of state officials would be the same as last year, amounting to 3,055 kuna. The basic salaries of the president of state, parliamentary speakers, the prime minister, parliamentary deputies and ministers would be reduced by 10 percent. Some government members opposed these decisions saying they were 'non-stimulating', whereas Prime Minister Ivica Racan insisted that state officials, too, had to contribute to austerity efforts. The government sent into parliamentary procedure a bill on changes to the Law on Defence, under which military service would be reduced from 10 to six months and civilian military service from 15 to eight months. (hina) rml