ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - Croatia's state budget for this year amounts to 45 billion and 300 thousand kuna, announced the Finance Minister, Mato Crkvenac, when on Tuesday he notified leaders of five trade unions' federations and biggest
autonomous unions as well as leaders of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) with outlines of the state budget for 2000. Unionists and employers were first to have been acquainted with the state budget, and they were even informed of some elements prior to the Government that is going to discuss this budget. Nominally this is a budget by five percent smaller, but effectively even 12 percent as against the 1999 state budget, Crkvenac said. His meeting with unionists and employers, which was held behind the closed doors, revolved around changes in the tax system and necessity to achieve a social pact between labour unions a
ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - Croatia's state budget for this year amounts
to 45 billion and 300 thousand kuna, announced the Finance
Minister, Mato Crkvenac, when on Tuesday he notified leaders of
five trade unions' federations and biggest autonomous unions as
well as leaders of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) with
outlines of the state budget for 2000.
Unionists and employers were first to have been acquainted with the
state budget, and they were even informed of some elements prior to
the Government that is going to discuss this budget.
Nominally this is a budget by five percent smaller, but effectively
even 12 percent as against the 1999 state budget, Crkvenac said.
His meeting with unionists and employers, which was held behind the
closed doors, revolved around changes in the tax system and
necessity to achieve a social pact between labour unions and
employers.
The HUP head, Zeljko Ivancevic, said employers were expecting from
the new state budget many incentives, particularly relief in tax
burdens so that businessmen can re-invest in profits. For Ivancevic
this will be the first indication that the economy will be enabled
to finance itself rather than depending on loans.
A leader of civil servants' trade union, Vilim Ribic, said he was
expecting that the new budget would take in account salaries of
teachers, scientists and cultural workers so that their incomes
should not lag behind other wages.
Presenting the budget, Finance Minister asked unions to show
understanding as he also announced a kind of stagnation of salaries
paid from the budget.
The head of the Association of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia
(SSSH), Davor Juric, said unions would not give up their demands, as
the Minister Crkvenac said the Government would add debts, incurred
before the constitution of this Government, to the 2000 budget.
What the SSSH is interested in are unpaid salaries for employees
with state companies, Juric explained.
The six-party coalition that won the parliamentary election, had
pledged in the run-up to the ballot that they would cut the budget by
17 percent. After the new Government assessed the state of affairs
in the country, and debts incurred by the former government led by
the HDZ party, it said the debts came unexpectedly to 25 billion
dollars.
(hina) ms