ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - The Constitution, Rule Book and Political System Committee on Thursday unanimously supported a draft act on cuts in salaries of state officials. The committee maintained that the issue of the income of state
officials should be thoroughly arranged during a regular parliamentary procedure and those wages should be linked with an objective criterion - salaries in the economy. The committee also unanimously endorsed the adoption in an urgent procedure of three draft bills referring to changes in the organisation of the Government, the state administration and the scope of activities of ministries. On behalf of the Government which proposed those acts, a deputy prime minister, Slavko Linic, presented the committee with the proposed alterations. Linic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) stressed that no budgetary means would be necessary for those changes and added they would
ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - The Constitution, Rule Book and Political
System Committee on Thursday unanimously supported a draft act on
cuts in salaries of state officials.
The committee maintained that the issue of the income of state
officials should be thoroughly arranged during a regular
parliamentary procedure and those wages should be linked with an
objective criterion - salaries in the economy.
The committee also unanimously endorsed the adoption in an urgent
procedure of three draft bills referring to changes in the
organisation of the Government, the state administration and the
scope of activities of ministries.
On behalf of the Government which proposed those acts, a deputy
prime minister, Slavko Linic, presented the committee with the
proposed alterations.
Linic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) stressed that no
budgetary means would be necessary for those changes and added they
would not bring about any increase in the number of employees with
the state administration.
According to those draft bills, the Government will consist of
Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers and ministers, while one of
deputy prime ministers would be the first deputy who can replace the
Premier. That function has not so far existed.
The draft acts provide for the abolishment of the offices of deputy
premiers while the office of the Government's Secretariat will be
set up.
The number of ministries is to rise from 17 to 19. The Development,
Immigration and Reconstruction Ministry will be cancelled and its
activities will be assumed by the Ministry of Public Works,
Reconstruction and Construction. Two new ministries will be
introduced - the ministry of European integration and the ministry
of trades, small and medium-sized business.
The status of "state ministries" is to exist no longer and all
ministries will be equally treated.
The changes stipulate the cancellation of the post of state
secretaries, while their job should be performed by secretaries of
ministries.
The Legislation Committee on Thursday supported the package of
draft bills on the organisation of the Government and the state
administration.
Jadranka Kosor of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) asked the
Government to give rough estimates of costs for the proposed
changes in the governmental organisation, as regards the increase
of the number of ministries.
A Deputy Premier, Zeljka Antunovic of the SDP said costs would not
increase and promised to try to get more concrete data until the
beginning of the session of the national Sabor's lower house
(scheduled for Thursday afternoon. She added that expanses were
likely to fall thanks to those changes.
(hina) ms