ZAGREB, Nov 12 (Hina) - Those who criticise the government should base their judgements on facts, because their ignorance brings to false assessments of the situation, Labour and Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic said Monday,
commenting on the statement of the Croatian Bishops' Conference about a difficult social situation in the country. I would like to believe that in the background of the Croatian Bishops' Conference's assessment was a genuine care for the citizens, but shallow assessments are not serious and should be explained and backed by the facts, Vidovic said at a press conference called "Struktura grijeha" (The Structure of A Sinn). Over the past two years, salaries in Croatia have increased by 4.6 percent in real terms, pensions by over 20 percent, and welfare by 17 percent. One cannot say that life in Croatia is worse than two years ago, Vidovic added. According to Vidovic, the social situation
ZAGREB, Nov 12 (Hina) - Those who criticise the government should
base their judgements on facts, because their ignorance brings to
false assessments of the situation, Labour and Welfare Minister
Davorko Vidovic said Monday, commenting on the statement of the
Croatian Bishops' Conference about a difficult social situation in
the country.
I would like to believe that in the background of the Croatian
Bishops' Conference's assessment was a genuine care for the
citizens, but shallow assessments are not serious and should be
explained and backed by the facts, Vidovic said at a press
conference called "Struktura grijeha" (The Structure of A Sinn).
Over the past two years, salaries in Croatia have increased by 4.6
percent in real terms, pensions by over 20 percent, and welfare by
17 percent. One cannot say that life in Croatia is worse than two
years ago, Vidovic added.
According to Vidovic, the social situation in Croatia is difficult,
but the government has showed an exceptional level of social
tolerance and protected the most socially handicapped groups of
citizens.
In relation to 1999, the average pension has increased from 1,363 to
1,644 kuna. Social expenditures rose by 58 percent, and
expenditures for the protection of military and civil invalids by
78 percent. The damage compensation for ex-political prisoners
increased by 221 percent.
The only decrease in social expenditures refers to maternity leave,
while at the same time, child allowances are twice as high as they
used to be.
New benefits for the unemployed, craftsmen and farmers have been
introduced as well as new workers' rights. As against January 2000,
the employment rate rose by one percent. From January to October
2001, 24.6 percent more citizens were employed than in the same
period in 2000.
In comparison to other countries in transition, the situation is
not as bad as the Croatian Bishops' Conference had described it to
be, Vidovic said.
The labour minister did not want to comment on possible motives of
the bishops' harsh assessments. The expansion of scepticism about
own powers and the strengthening of pessimism will not help the
government in implementing reforms. Vidovic said he expected
dialogue with the Catholic Church.
He also stressed that the government was exposed to a great pressure
from the Catholic Church to return three objects which the Church
once owned - children's homes in Sveti Filip i Jakov, Koprivnica and
Sisak. He added he was expecting this problem to be solved to the
citizens' advantage.
(hina) np sb