ZAGREB, March 22 (Hina) - Croatia's Labour and Social Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic, on Wednesday expounded reasons to the Sabor's House of Representatives, why the incumbent Government decided to propose the posponement of the
enforcement of the act on child's allowance for 1 January 2001. The application of the law which envisages that child's allowance should be granted to unemployed persons, farmers and craftsmen, and which was adopted last year in the lower house by general consensus, has been delayed owing to the failure of the former Government to carry out necessary preparation for it to come into effect. There are no data on the number of those who can use the child's allowance and it means it is still unknown how much money should be earmarked for this purpose. The point is that former authorities did not seriously think of the implementation of this act, and t
ZAGREB, March 22 (Hina) - Croatia's Labour and Social Welfare
Minister Davorko Vidovic, on Wednesday expounded reasons to the
Sabor's House of Representatives, why the incumbent Government
decided to propose the posponement of the enforcement of the act on
child's allowance for 1 January 2001.
The application of the law which envisages that child's allowance
should be granted to unemployed persons, farmers and craftsmen, and
which was adopted last year in the lower house by general consensus,
has been delayed owing to the failure of the former Government to
carry out necessary preparation for it to come into effect.
There are no data on the number of those who can use the child's
allowance and it means it is still unknown how much money should be
earmarked for this purpose.
The point is that former authorities did not seriously think of the
implementation of this act, and this statement can be confirmed by
the fact that during the run-up to the elections, the ex Government
had postponed the decision on having the act going in force, until
March 1, 2000, Vidovic said.
"This Government wants to stand firmly and responsibly behind all
laws, particularly those who tackle the rights of citizens,
especially of children," the minister told the lower house.
In addition, the former Government did not establish the necessary
property qualifications, while the law should be based on reliable
criteria of social justice and on the grounded amounts for the
payment.
The child's allowance law would make a necessary turn and depart
from a model of social policy implemented for 50 years, Vidovic
explained. That long-standing policy was based on granting social
rights only on the grounds of the employment (with firms), while all
other categories - like the jobless, craftsmen, farmers - were
excluded from social welfare system, Vidovic said.
"This Government does not abandon the concept of law, but it is only
a messenger of bad news," Vidovic emphasised responding to remarks
and objections of members of the parliament during a discussion.
The postponement of the enforcement of this law for the second time
has caused great dissatisfaction among citizens, who had to spend
money for many stamp duties and waste hours and hours in queues
before offices to submit their applications for the child's
allowance.
(hina) jn ms