PARLIAMENT LOWER HOUSE ADOPTS SEVERAL BILLS

ZAGREB, 7 Feb (Hina) - The Parliament House of Representatives on Friday took a vote on several bills which were discussed during this session. The MPs adopted a bill on pension adjustment and the management of pension and disability insurance funds. According to the bill, as of 1 March during the next 18 months at most, pensioners will be paid differences between received pensions and pensions they should have received during 1995 and 1996. As of this February, pensions will be harmonized with the increase of living costs and not any more with the increase of salaries. According to the Croatian government, 500 million kuna will be needed for pension adjustment. Those assets will not be taken from the budget but will be secured from pension and disability insurance funds, said Labour and Welfare Minister Joso Skara, speaking about the representatives' amendments. According to Skara, 700 million kuna had been 'saved' by lowering the contribution rate for pensioners' health insurance from 25% to 18%. The MPs rejected a bill on the vote of no confidence in Administration Minister Davorin Mlakar, which was discussed at the last session. The bill was proposed by representatives of the Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS), Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) and the Social-Democratic Party (SDP). The Lower House rejected draft conclusions by the SDP bench which demanded that the Committee for Labour, Social Policy and Health carry out an inspection into the legality of the work of the Government and pension funds, prepare reports and measures for establishing the amount of the state's debt towards pensioners, which dates back to May of 1990. The SDP also demanded the establishment of a parliament investigating commission. Vladimir Seks of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said that the proposed conclusions were contrary to the rules of procedure, laws and the Constitution. A parliamentary working body cannot control the work of the Government, Seks said, adding that this was exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Parliament. The MPs also adopted a bill confirming an agreement signed between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia on legal issues. They also adopted several bills which confirm international contracts and agreements, including a loan agreement on a project of urgent restoration of traffic and removal of mines signed between Croatia and the World Bank, which provides Croatia with US $102 million, out of which $30 million will be used for the removal of mines. The Lower House also adopted several bills amending the existing laws, including the Law on Arms. The bills extend the buy-out or legalization of arms for another six months. With a majority vote, the Lower House rejected to pass into further procedure bills proposed by the HSS representatives Zlatko Tomcic and Luka Trconic on changes of the Law on the Election of Representatives to the Parliament, Law on the Election of Members of Local Self-Government Bodies and Units of Local Government, Law on Local Government and Self-Government and the Law on the City of Zagreb. Another bill on changes of the Law on the City of Zagreb, proposed by Ivan Gabelica, was also rejected. (hina) rm jn 071859 MET feb 97