CROATIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES 1997 BUDGET

ZAGREB, Dec 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives adopted a 1997 budget at an extraordinary session on Friday, with 70 votes in favour and 23 against. The budget provides for revenues of 32.9 billion kuna and expenditures of 35.7 billion kuna. The budgetary deficit of 2.8 billion kuna will be financed by loans on domestic and foreign capital markets. Before the vote, deputies discussed about a hundred amendments to the budget draft, which proposed that the budget be increased by 3.7 billion kuna, which Finance Minister Bozo Prka described as unrealistic. "The government has thoroughly considered all the amendments and accepted those within budgetary limits," Prka said, adding that the budget was increased by 300 million kuna compared to its first reading in parliament and that 350 million kuna was reallocated. Nearly seven billion kuna is envisaged for the social welfare sector while about 4.5 billion kuna will be directed at capital expenditures. (hina) vm mm 201802 MET dec 96