MPs to debate budget review next week

Parliament will temporarily suspend its current session in order to begin a debate on the anti-crisis measures and the budget review next week. State Secretary in the Finance Ministry Slobodan Ilic said that the draft budget review was almost ready and would probably be finished by the end of the day. MPs to debate budget review next week Under the new budget, the deficit will be doubled from the current EUR 475mn to 950mn. He said that he understood the concerns of certain budget users over salary cuts, but that the economic crisis meant that all those financed from the state budget would have to make savings. In reaction to comments by certain government members that Serbia would be seeking loans from Russia and China to finance infrastructure projects, Ilic said that it was a good idea, but that it was important to receive the loans at favorable conditions. While the government’s announcement that MPs' salaries would not come out of the crisis unscathed did not meet any opposition in parliament, other measures making up the anti-crisis plan did come in for criticism, media report. The Democratic Party of Serbia outlined its own proposal for savings, including abolishment of all expenses, representation costs, and scrapping the use of official vehicles. The issue of savings came back round to official business trips. Speaking on her return from Ethiopia, Democratic Party MP Nada Kolundzija said that her work in the Inter-Parliamentary Union was not a luxury or tourism, as the media have claimed, but lobbying for state interests. (Beta) Speaker: Current session to be suspended Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic announced that the current agenda would be suspended and a new session called. “The ongoing session cannot be finished by the end of the week and, for that reason, because we believe that there is nothing more urgent than the economic measures and overcoming the crisis, we’ll suspend the session and resume it once we are done with the government’s proposed measures,” she explained. Djukic Dejanovic hopes that the government’s measures, adopted on April 7, will be given to parliament by the end of this week. She said that MPs needed a few days to acquaint themselves with the proposed measures, make suggestions and submit any amendments. “Parliament must bear all the burden that the citizens are carrying in these tough times, and that is why all the measures will apply to parliament too,” Djukic Dejanovic said. However, the opposition has voiced its consternation at the Speaker’s plans. Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) official Radojko Obradovic told B92 that this decision showed that the government had no kind of plan for work in parliament. “Given that the budget review was announced back in January and that we knew when the International Monetary Fund mission was coming, it is unbelievable that a session was called with 43 points on the agenda, before then being told that there were a lot more important things to discuss and that the session must be cut short. That shows that the there is no planning in parliament,” Obradovic said. He added that the DSS would not be supporting the government’s anti-crisis measures. “What concerns us is that the information on the fall in exports and production is being hidden and is way off the mark, because the real figures show that Serbia will need another budget review by the end of the year,” Obradovic noted.

MPs to debate budget review next week

Under the new budget, the deficit will be doubled from the current EUR 475mn to 950mn.

He said that he understood the concerns of certain budget users over salary cuts, but that the economic crisis meant that all those financed from the state budget would have to make savings.

In reaction to comments by certain government members that Serbia would be seeking loans from Russia and China to finance infrastructure projects, Ilić said that it was a good idea, but that it was important to receive the loans at favorable conditions.

While the government’s announcement that MPs' salaries would not come out of the crisis unscathed did not meet any opposition in parliament, other measures making up the anti-crisis plan did come in for criticism, media report.

The Democratic Party of Serbia outlined its own proposal for savings, including abolishment of all expenses, representation costs, and scrapping the use of official vehicles.

The issue of savings came back round to official business trips.

Speaking on her return from Ethiopia, Democratic Party MP Nada Kolundžija said that her work in the Inter-Parliamentary Union was not a luxury or tourism, as the media have claimed, but lobbying for state interests.

Speaker: Current session to be suspended

Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Đukić Dejanović announced that the current agenda would be suspended and a new session called.

“The ongoing session cannot be finished by the end of the week and, for that reason, because we believe that there is nothing more urgent than the economic measures and overcoming the crisis, we’ll suspend the session and resume it once we are done with the government’s proposed measures,” she explained.

Đukić Dejanović hopes that the government’s measures, adopted on April 7, will be given to parliament by the end of this week.

She said that MPs needed a few days to acquaint themselves with the proposed measures, make suggestions and submit any amendments.

“Parliament must bear all the burden that the citizens are carrying in these tough times, and that is why all the measures will apply to parliament too,” Đukić Dejanović said.

However, the opposition has voiced its consternation at the Speaker’s plans.

Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) official Radojko Obradović told B92 that this decision showed that the government had no kind of plan for work in parliament.

“Given that the budget review was announced back in January and that we knew when the International Monetary Fund mission was coming, it is unbelievable that a session was called with 43 points on the agenda, before then being told that there were a lot more important things to discuss and that the session must be cut short. That shows that the there is no planning in parliament,” Obradović said.

He added that the DSS would not be supporting the government’s anti-crisis measures.

“What concerns us is that the information on the fall in exports and production is being hidden and is way off the mark, because the real figures show that Serbia will need another budget review by the end of the year,” Obradović noted.