Cvetković fields MPs’ questions

Parliament has held its first prime minister’s questions session, with Mirko Cvetkovic fielding MPs’ questions. During a five-hour debate, Cvetkovic and ministers answered MPs’ questions regarding the economic crisis and the government’s anti-crisis measures. Cvetkovic fields MPs’ questions The weekly session, which was part of the recently adopted changes to the parliamentary Code of Procedure, was attended by opposition MPs as well, though Radical officials walked out because Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic gave the floor to officials of the ruling coalition first. Economy and Regional Development Minister Mladjan Dinkic also answered questions, as did Finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic, Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjic, Trade and Services Minister Slobodan Milosavljevic, and Local Self-Government Minister Milan Markovic. Opposition officials said that the government had not taken adequate measures to protect industry and citizens from the effects of the economic crisis, and they asked whether new measures were being planned, especially for protecting the most at-risk citizens. Ruling coalition MPs asked the Prime Minister for information on public finances and on the preparation of a new arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Cvetkovic said that the government had not been late in preparing bail-out measures, as it had guaranteed the conditions for stability of the banking system, stimulating production and purchasing of domestic goods in accordance with the capabilities of the budget. He denied that MPs and experts had not been involved in the preparation of these measures. Cvetkovic said a social program was being worked on to help people who had lost their jobs and the most at-risk section of the population. Dinkic said that the package of measures to support industrial growth would be updated in March and that the changes in the law for the distribution of free shares to citizens would be adopted. Dragutinovic said that the government was considering increasing Value Added Tax, and was preparing itself for talks with the IMF regarding a new arrangement. Markovic said that there was no plan to cut public administration staff, of which there are some 28,000 currently, because the budget does not have money to offer them severance payments. He added that 2,000 surplus public administration staff would be taking voluntary redundancy next week. Mirko Cvetkovic (FoNet, archive)

Cvetković fields MPs’ questions

The weekly session, which was part of the recently adopted changes to the parliamentary Code of Procedure, was attended by opposition MPs as well, though Radical officials walked out because Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović gave the floor to officials of the ruling coalition first.

Economy and Regional Development Minister Mlađan Dinkić also answered questions, as did Finance Minister Diana Dragutinović, Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić, Trade and Services Minister Slobodan Milosavljević, and Local Self-Government Minister Milan Marković.

Opposition officials said that the government had not taken adequate measures to protect industry and citizens from the effects of the economic crisis, and they asked whether new measures were being planned, especially for protecting the most at-risk citizens.

Ruling coalition MPs asked the Prime Minister for information on public finances and on the preparation of a new arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Cvetković said that the government had not been late in preparing bail-out measures, as it had guaranteed the conditions for stability of the banking system, stimulating production and purchasing of domestic goods in accordance with the capabilities of the budget.

He denied that MPs and experts had not been involved in the preparation of these measures.

Cvetković said a social program was being worked on to help people who had lost their jobs and the most at-risk section of the population.

Dinkić said that the package of measures to support industrial growth would be updated in March and that the changes in the law for the distribution of free shares to citizens would be adopted.

Dragutinović said that the government was considering increasing Value Added Tax, and was preparing itself for talks with the IMF regarding a new arrangement.

Marković said that there was no plan to cut public administration staff, of which there are some 28,000 currently, because the budget does not have money to offer them severance payments.

He added that 2,000 surplus public administration staff would be taking voluntary redundancy next week.