ZAGREB, Dec 22 (Hina) - The Croatian Government on Friday suggested military conscription should be reduced to six months, while civilian conscription would be reduced from 15 to nine months. The suggestion was made as part of
amendments to the Law on Defence which the Government sent into urgent parliamentary procedure. It was also decided to discuss the possibility of making military and civilian conscription of the same length of time. Deputy Defence Minister Ivica Zlatko Gareljic, however, objected to the suggestion, arguing this would cause problems such as insufficient motivation for young men to serve military conscription and the impossibility of organising civilian conscription for an increased number of those interested. The draft would come into effect on the day of publishing in the National Gazette, but would not apply to persons already serving conscription. Decreasing the time in the army would s
ZAGREB, Dec 22 (Hina) - The Croatian Government on Friday suggested
military conscription should be reduced to six months, while
civilian conscription would be reduced from 15 to nine months.
The suggestion was made as part of amendments to the Law on Defence
which the Government sent into urgent parliamentary procedure.
It was also decided to discuss the possibility of making military
and civilian conscription of the same length of time.
Deputy Defence Minister Ivica Zlatko Gareljic, however, objected
to the suggestion, arguing this would cause problems such as
insufficient motivation for young men to serve military
conscription and the impossibility of organising civilian
conscription for an increased number of those interested.
The draft would come into effect on the day of publishing in the
National Gazette, but would not apply to persons already serving
conscription.
Decreasing the time in the army would save some 142 million kuna in
the budget.
The Government also adopted a report on the completion of
negotiations with the International Monetary Fund with a
suggestion for the signing of a memorandum on economic and
financial policy.
The IMF has offered 200 million special drawing rights as a stand-by
arrangement (about US$250 million), which would be signed by the
end of February.
The Stand-by arrangement, Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said,
marks the Government's activities this year as positive and its
economic policy new and one of reform.
The arrangement gives support to the Government's programme with a
special accent on budgetary rationalisation and lifting the
economic efficiency, primarily privatisation, Crkvenac
explained.
The signing of the agreement with the IMF with strengthen Croatia's
position on the international financial market, its credit rating
will increase and the interest on its debts will decrease. The
signing also creates the possibility for Croatia to soon obtain
about one billion dollars of additional capital, he stressed.
The Government also forwarded to the parliament a draft law which
would ratify an agreement on social insurance with Bosnia-
Herzegovina. The draft guarantees the payment of pensions to people
who have residences in other countries.
The Government also decided to provide one-time financial
assistance to persons with the most grave degree of invalidity.
(hina) lml