ZAGREB, Nov 3 (Hina) - It is the Government' firm stance that the draft state budget for next year should be limited to the amount of 50,855 million kuna (US$5,650 million), Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said Friday. The
discussion on the draft budget is ongoing at the Government and is expected to be adopted at next Thursday's session and forwarded into the Parliament. The initial sum of requests for budgetary needs exceeded the limit by some 20 billion kuna. Discussions at the Government reached an amount exceeding the budget still by five billion. Selection and priorities will have to decrease the current amount by five billion kuna in further talks, Racan told reporters before Friday's Government session. Agreement on the budget limit was precise and on the line of a stronger step towards decentralisation, especially in the health, education and social welfare systems, as well as in the direction of ele
ZAGREB, Nov 3 (Hina) - It is the Government' firm stance that the
draft state budget for next year should be limited to the amount of
50,855 million kuna (US$5,650 million), Croatian Prime Minister
Ivica Racan said Friday.
The discussion on the draft budget is ongoing at the Government and
is expected to be adopted at next Thursday's session and forwarded
into the Parliament.
The initial sum of requests for budgetary needs exceeded the limit
by some 20 billion kuna.
Discussions at the Government reached an amount exceeding the
budget still by five billion.
Selection and priorities will have to decrease the current amount
by five billion kuna in further talks, Racan told reporters before
Friday's Government session.
Agreement on the budget limit was precise and on the line of a
stronger step towards decentralisation, especially in the health,
education and social welfare systems, as well as in the direction of
election of material expenses, current expenditures, transfers,
salaries and rights.
"In these areas we can decrease the budget to some 50 billion kuna
which we can justify with real turnover," Racan said.
He stressed that this year the draft budget contained some great
items which had not been present for this year's budget -- returning
of debts to pensioners, increasing funds for children's allowance,
etc.
"In such a situation I personally insist that the Government show a
high degree of responsibility and that is why this budgetary limit
cannot be exceeded," Racan stressed.
The Government has found itself between requests for a decrease of
turnover in the interest of unburdening the economy, development
and new job opportunities; and between requests for an increase in
budgetary expenditure due to numerous needs of the Croatian society
-- salary of entitlements increase.
The Government has firmly decided that the budget for next year be
covered by true profits, at the same time securing saving,
rationality, development contribution.
Racan asserted there will be significant changes with regards to
the number of employees in state administration and defence and
interior ministries.
Racan asserted he was satisfied with the current phase of the work
on the budget.
Government coordinations on Wednesday discussed the budget for
next year and elements of the budgets for the next three years.
This discussion continues, and Racan stressed his opting for an
amount to be established by Monday to it could be forwarded into
parliamentary procedure following Government's session Thursday.
(hina) lml