PARLIAMENT WRAPS UP WEDNESDAY'S SESSION

ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - Parliament wrapped Wednesday's session and is to resume tomorrow a debate on seven bills from a package aimed at restricting social entitlements. In today's debate, bench representatives of the ruling coalition's five parties endorsed the bills package, saying it introduces order and more fairness in the system of social care. They emphasised social entitlements should be adjusted to the possibilities of the economy and the state budget as current transfers for citizens account for 26 percent of the Gross Domestic Product which, they said, wealthier countries could not sustain either. The ruling coalition's MPs also said it was necessary to introduce a uniform record of all employees and a social card which should prevent the accumulation of social entitlements on various grounds. The bench of the strongest opposition party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), will not endorse the bills which it says contain anti-social measures further decreasing the citizens' standard. The HDZ said the measures were being passed at the dictate of the International Monetary Fund. The party will not endorse the bills also because they represent a linear reduction of social entitlements and do not bring more fairness in the care system, the HDZ maintains. (hina) ha