US1.6 BILLION EARMARKED FOR SOCIAL WELFARE IN REVISED BUDGET

ZAGREB, June 16 (Hina) - According to a revision of the 1999 budget, US$1,6 billion, namely 22 per cent of the budget, is to be earmarked for social welfare, Croatian Labour and Social Welfare Minister Joso Skara told the Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives on Wednesday. Of that amount, US$875 million will be earmarked for the Croatian Pension Insurance Bureau, Skara added. Since the social programme was passed in 1996, a lot has been done in taking care of refugees and displaced persons, Croatian Homeland soldiers, unemployed persons, and all other social categories, Skara said. He stressed that certain new rights have been implemented and funds for social needs have been increased since the new law on social welfare was passed. In 1997 and 1998, 350,000 persons in Croatia were using different forms of social welfare from state, local, and humanitarian sources. According to Skara, an average of 276,000 persons have been unemployed in Croatia, in the past three years. Many of them have been receiving different forms of unemployment aid. So far, 6,000 persons have been employed thanks to the National Employment Policy, which included different forms of subsidy. Skara pointed to the unfavourable ratio of employed and retired persons, which is one retired person to 1.4 employed persons. In the past three years, the number of retired persons increased by eight per cent, while the number of employed persons decreased by 4.3 percent. (hina) it jn