HDZ PRESIDENCY DEBATES STATE OFFICIALS' SALARIES

( Editorial: --> 2375 ) ZAGREB, Sept 22 (Hina) - The Presidency of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) at a Tuesday session headed by President Franjo Tudjman discussed bills on changes to the Law on Rights and Obligations of State Officials and the Law on Croatian Radio- Television (HRT). The HDZ Presidency supported a government proposal for a more specific definition of state officials covered by the said Law, the party's General Secretariat said in a statement. Discussing a draft decision on state officials' salaries, the Presidency took into consideration the economic and social circumstances in Croatia, as well as salary ratios in countries comparable to Croatia. According to established criteria, state officials' salaries should be much lower than stipulated in a decision the House of Representatives passed in July this year. The Lower house on July 10 passed the Law on Rights and Obligations of State Officials and an accompanying decision on the President of the Republic's salary, which stipulates that the salaries of state officials are to be established on par with the President's salary. Due to procedural errors, the parliament's Legislative Committee concluded that both documents were invalid. Discussing a bill on changes and amendments to the Law on HRT, proposed by the HDZ parliamentary bench, the HDZ Presidency supported a solution enabling HRT's development in line with standards of public television in more advanced European countries. The HDZ Presidency also discussed ways of allocating DEM2 billion from the state budget to pension funds over a four-year period. The Presidency supported a model according to which over the next four years every pensioner is to receive an additional DEM28 per month along with the pension, as well as six per cent of the pension. The HDZ Presidency supported the model as it acknowledges the principle of solidarity and social justice, said in the statement. (hina) it jn/ha 231315 MET sep 98