RIJEKA, Aug 22 (Hina) - Some Government officials, union leaders and employers' representatives will meet at Plitvice Lakes from 24 to 28 August to discuss guidelines and objectives of state budgets for the next three years. They are
expected to consider fiscal and wage policies as well as a new labour act, Croatian Social Welfare and Labour Minister, Davorko Vidovic, announced on Tuesday in Rijeka. Minister Vidovic stressed that the Plitvice Lakes meeting would be an occasion for them to try lay foundations for a social agreement, which he viewed as a pre-condition for the recovery of Croatia, as well as to reach a general consensus on necessary and pressing but difficult and demanding reforms. Vidovic, who is a Vice President of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), spoke of these issues at a news conference held by this party in the seaside city of Rijeka. Over 15 percent of the Gross
RIJEKA, Aug 22 (Hina) - Some Government officials, union leaders
and employers' representatives will meet at Plitvice Lakes from 24
to 28 August to discuss guidelines and objectives of state budgets
for the next three years. They are expected to consider fiscal and
wage policies as well as a new labour act, Croatian Social Welfare
and Labour Minister, Davorko Vidovic, announced on Tuesday in
Rijeka.
Minister Vidovic stressed that the Plitvice Lakes meeting would be
an occasion for them to try lay foundations for a social agreement,
which he viewed as a pre-condition for the recovery of Croatia, as
well as to reach a general consensus on necessary and pressing but
difficult and demanding reforms.
Vidovic, who is a Vice President of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP), spoke of these issues at a news conference held by this party
in the seaside city of Rijeka.
Over 15 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is earmarked for
pensions, and under a decree on the return of unpaid parts of
pensions, this amount will further rise by some 10 percent, namely
it will be higher by 2.2 billion kuna annually, Vidovic said
explaining that in this way pensions of some 600,000 retirees and
other users will be increased by about 20 percent.
He added that the Government was willing to hear other solutions for
the ways to settle the debt towards retirees but the amount of 22
billion kuna in ten years must not be surpassed as there were no
sources for such funds.
Commenting on the social situation in the country Vidovic said
Croatia was not yet at a level of absolute poverty as Croatia's GDP
was still higher than the GDP in most countries in transition. The
problem however is how to distribute the goods and assets, the
minister said.
There is an excessively high number of rich people, and a
significant part of them acquired property thanks to unfair
activities in war circumstances, while on the other hand a far
higher number of people are almost reduced to poverty, he told the
conference.
Therefore we should think carefully about methods for the re-
distribution of means and goods, and one of measures which will be
considered at the Plitvice meeting is the progressive taxation of
the profit, Minister Vidovic announced.
(hina) jn ms