ZAGREB, Nov 10 (Hina) - Government expenditure in the first trimester of 2000 is planned to total US$1.66 billion and should not exceed the fourth of this year's budgetary expenditure, Croatian Assistant Finance Minister Niko Raic
told parliament's House of Representatives on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Nov 10 (Hina) - Government expenditure in the first
trimester of 2000 is planned to total US$1.66 billion and should not
exceed the fourth of this year's budgetary expenditure, Croatian
Assistant Finance Minister Niko Raic told parliament's House of
Representatives on Wednesday.#L#
The proposed decision on temporary government financing was
endorsed by the parliamentary bench of the ruling Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ). Representatives of the benches of the
Istrian Democratic Assembly, the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS),
the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Liberal Party, and the
Croatian People's Party/Istrian Democratic Forum announced they
would vote against.
According to Raic, the aim of the temporary government financing
decision is to give the new government and parliament a break, in
order to facilitate the passing of next year's budget after next
month's parliamentary elections.
The opposition benches mostly objected to the continuation of the
policy of government squandering and the continuity of the economic
policy. The proposed decision, according to Pavao Sarcevic of the
HSS, has no foundation in data on trends in industry and employment,
and especially data on the Gross National Product.
SDP's Dragica Zgrebec said the budget's economic assumptions were
completely unrealistic and unfeasible. Hrvoje Kraljevic of the
Croatian Social Liberal Party agreed, saying that estimates of a
three percent economic growth and a three to 3.5 percent inflation
rate in 2000 were entirely unrealistic.
Djuro Njavro of the ruling party endorsed the decision, saying it
guaranteed the continuation of the state's economic stability in
the first trimester of 2000. He pointed out the decision secured
funds for higher salaries for budgetary users, a regular payment of
salaries and pensions, and a regular execution of the external and
internal debt.
Njavro said the external debt totalled US$9.1 billion, of which
US$3.89 billion refers to the state's debt. As long as the HDZ
guides it, Croatia will not seek any reprograms but be a partner, he
asserted.
(hina) ha mm