OPPOSITION AGAINST REVISION OF BUDGET

ZAGREB, June 28 (Hina) - Parliamentarians of the strongest opposition party - HDZ - will not support a draft revision of the state budget, as they are against the accumulation of new debts of the government. On the other hand, HSLS, one of the parties which make up the ruling five-party coalition, will support the draft revision, as Social Liberals are in favour of decentralisation of the state and the set- up of the State Treasury. The government's measures should be backed, or macroeconomic goals - the acceleration of the economic growth and a cut in inflation and public spending - will be brought into question, said Jadranka Katarincic-Skrilj on behalf of the HSLS bench during Thursday's afternoon discussion at the Sabor. She maintains that so far the government has taken several measures to lessen the tax burden, reduce the labour price, tariffs and profit taxes, and has introduced also the third rate on the income tax and is stimulating the employment. For the eighteen months the Ivica Racan Cabinet has increased funds earmarked for social needs by five billion kuna and this denies allegations that the incumbent government is socially insensitive, the HSLS representative asserted. On behalf of the HDZ bench, Ivan Suker, said this party would not vote for the revision because it was worrisome that the burden of the indebtedness of this government came to 20 billion kuna for 18 months. Suker stressed that in the first three months of 2001 a budgetary deficit had totalled 3.5 billion kuna, and it would probably further rise as the pension fund was collecting less and less means, while its lack was covered by means from the budget. (hina) sb ms