ZAGREB, Nov 3 (Hina) - According to a motioned revision of this year's budget which the Government forwarded Friday into parliamentary procedure, the current budgetary expenditures would be increased by 193 million kuna (about
US$21.44 million). This is only 0.38 per cent more than the budget itself, Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said, stressing he was "very satisfied" with this, because the realisation of such a budget this year, which is lesser than last year's, meant a definite turning point in the budgetary and fiscal policy.
ZAGREB, Nov 3 (Hina) - According to a motioned revision of this
year's budget which the Government forwarded Friday into
parliamentary procedure, the current budgetary expenditures would
be increased by 193 million kuna (about US$21.44 million).
This is only 0.38 per cent more than the budget itself, Finance
Minister Mato Crkvenac said, stressing he was "very satisfied" with
this, because the realisation of such a budget this year, which is
lesser than last year's, meant a definite turning point in the
budgetary and fiscal policy. #L#
The draft revision stipulates total expenditure of 50.663 billion
kuna (US$5.63 billion), which is an increase of 2.366 billion kuna
(US$263 million) in relation to the set 48.3 billion kuna (US$5.36
billion)
Most revisions pertain to the technical part of the revision, that
is, a change in the structure of income and expenditure,
particularly in health and pension insurance, Crkvenac said.
With the revision, science (13 per cent more funds), culture (12 per
cent fund increase), social policy and education got better deals,
he asserted.
The ministries of economy, agriculture, defence, interior and
foreign affairs, are segments which have had the slowest budget
growth, even a certain decrease.
The Finance Minister said the Government had this year made some 50
great moves in economic policy, which are already yielding results,
so economic growth this year will be 3.5 per cent.
He especially stressed that in the existing conditions there was no
chance of an increase in government expenditure, and that it should
be decreased by 10 index points in the next three years.
After a Government session Friday Crkvenac answered some
reporters' questions, particularly concerning the draft budget for
next year, the amount of which cannot exceed 50.855 billion kuna
(US$5.65 billion).
The draft budget for next year continues the policy of savings and
rationalisation of the state administration, defence and police,
giving advantage to science, education, export stimulation, small
and middle-scale entreprenneurship, and social welfare.
Crkvenac announced special attention would soon be paid to solving
the problem of unemployment. Solutions could take five directions,
he sid, refusing to speak about the draft in detail.
(hina) lml jn