Economist wonders why govt. hasn't published IMF documents

Economist wonders why govt. hasn't published IMF documents

"I asked about electricity (price increase), they said they did not want to announced that before the IMF did, and before their board of directors approved it. I wonder, if all measures are ib the memorandum (sent by the Serbian government) - did IMF insist on everything or did we arrive to it, to then wait for the IMF to announce it," Stamenkovic said at the presentation of the new issue of the Macroeconomic Analysis and Trends publication.

He added that he "does not claim this happened," but that "the question arises."

Stamenkovic also said it was "strange" that the recent Kopanik Busienss Forum discussed the IMF arrangement considering it was "obvious they did not read it, that they did not know what it was about."

He said that the arrangement with the IMF is not a topic only now, "but will be for the next three years."

"I am among those who think that we need it, but we can only be happy once we're past the three-month control, a lot of work is ahead of the government and economic policy makers," said Stamenkovic.

According to him, the claims the IMF deal concerns only fiscal measures and debt were not true. On the contrary, Stamenkovic added, the arrangement will have an impact on long-term measures - growth, competitiveness, creating a healthy economic environment, "and later on creating room for new jobs."

Stamenkovic also warned that the public debt level remains dangerously high despite measures of fiscal consolidation.

"And the danger of interest rate shock is also ahead of us," he said.