ZAGREB, Oct 18 (Hina) - Croatia's parliament on Thursday refuted a proposal that it postpone a discussion on a final bill on the rights of war veterans and their families for next week. Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic said there could be
no delays in the discussion on this item because of international commitments Zagreb had assumed. Asked by the war veterans committee's head, Djuro Decak of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), to explain in more detail what kind of obligations were at issue, Tomcic said he could not say anything more, but added that the government asked the parliament to adopt the bill this week as sessions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank were scheduled for the following week. Croatia has assumed certain commitments such as the control of the cuts in the public spending, Tomcic said. This morning MPs adopted amendments to the tax authorities law, and rejected the government's proposal t
ZAGREB, Oct 18 (Hina) - Croatia's parliament on Thursday refuted a
proposal that it postpone a discussion on a final bill on the rights
of war veterans and their families for next week.
Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic said there could be no delays in the
discussion on this item because of international commitments
Zagreb had assumed.
Asked by the war veterans committee's head, Djuro Decak of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), to explain in more detail what
kind of obligations were at issue, Tomcic said he could not say
anything more, but added that the government asked the parliament
to adopt the bill this week as sessions of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank were scheduled for the following
week.
Croatia has assumed certain commitments such as the control of the
cuts in the public spending, Tomcic said.
This morning MPs adopted amendments to the tax authorities law, and
rejected the government's proposal to rescind a law they recently
passed on authorising the government to make decrees regulating
some issues from the competence of the Sabor.
After that the parliament discussed a final bill on the health
insurance, which envisages the introduction of the compulsory
insurance and additional, voluntary insurance. The allowance paid
during the sick leave will be cut from the current 80 percent of the
monthly salary to 70 percent.
Under the bill, the duration of sick leave will be categorised, and
the longest sick leave for some diseases would be determined by the
Health Ministry in cooperation with the doctors' association.
Commissions of doctors would be in charge of controlling the abuse
of rights to sick leave.
Most parliamentary benches assessed that such a law would offer
more expensive health services without guarantees that they would
be improved.
On behalf of the bench of the strongest opposition party, HDZ, Ivica
Kostovic, claimed the new bill would introduce new levies in order
to cover a deficit of the Croatian Health Insurance Institute.
He and the bench of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) asked that
war veterans be exempted from the duty to pay the participation for
the use of health services.
The bench of the Croatian Social Liberals (HSLS) proposed that
patients who suffer from chronicle mental diseases should also be
exempted from paying the participation for their hospitalisation,
and that no participation should be paid for some preventive
treatments.
On behalf of the Social Democrats (SDP) bench, Snjezana Biga
Friganovic, welcomed th bill and refuted assertion that it was
unfair.
She in particular greeted the stricter control of sick leave where,
as she said, chaos had so far reigned. She also proposed a detailed
analysis of the effect of the new law six months after its went into
force.
MPs continued discussing this bill.
(hina) ms