Opposition calls on govt. to reveal crisis strategy

While the opposition baits the govt. for failing to announce its measures to tackle the crisis, the ruling coalition says it will do all it can to save money. "The Serb Progressive Party (SNS) has called on the government to say in public what measures it would take to combat the economic downturn," said MP Aleksandar Vucic on Friday. Opposition calls on govt. to reveal crisis strategy Speaking at a news conference, he suggested several measures to the government - a cut, rather than an increase in income tax, and the introduction of non-customs measures that would protect farmers from the “import mafia.“ Vucic also suggested savings in public administration and called on the authorities to get rid of all “the unnecessary politicians that the government is saturated with,” noting that were about 240 deputy ministers. "That’s defies belief, because they’re not experts in the public sector and they’re not people that are doing their job… those are people who are only there because they belong to certain parties, so let’s get rid of that ballast as soon as possible, which would at least have some effect,” stressed the SPS MP. The Democratic Party of Serbia called on the prime minister and parliament to discuss the government’s economic plans at a special session of parliament. MP Zoran Nikolic said that the government needed to outline the key elements of the arrangement with the IMF at a special session, as well as a memorandum on the budget, economic and fiscal policy for this year, and projections for the next two years. He told journalists in parliament that it was high time that parliament discussed everyday themes, such as the financial crisis, “which is battering us, and the measures that the government will take in light of the confusing information that its representatives have been feeding us.“ Democratic Party spokeswoman Jelena Trivan said that the government was currently reviewing possible savings measures and was ready to reduce the number of ministries if it would mean genuine savings. “We’re ready to cut the number of ministries if it means genuine savings, but we think that cutting the number of ministries, that’s to say cutting ministerial positions without practical measures for cutting the public administration that goes hand in hand with these ministries’ portfolios, would not in itself mean a great deal,“ Trivan told journalists in parliament. She added that such an act would “admittedly have political significance and would send a message to the public that the government is prepared to show solidarity with society by contracting its own functions.“ Aleksandar Vucic (Beta, archive)

Opposition calls on govt. to reveal crisis strategy

Speaking at a news conference, he suggested several measures to the government - a cut, rather than an increase in income tax, and the introduction of non-customs measures that would protect farmers from the “import mafia.“

Vučić also suggested savings in public administration and called on the authorities to get rid of all “the unnecessary politicians that the government is saturated with,” noting that were about 240 deputy ministers.

"That’s defies belief, because they’re not experts in the public sector and they’re not people that are doing their job… those are people who are only there because they belong to certain parties, so let’s get rid of that ballast as soon as possible, which would at least have some effect,” stressed the SPS MP.

The Democratic Party of Serbia called on the prime minister and parliament to discuss the government’s economic plans at a special session of parliament.

MP Zoran Nikolić said that the government needed to outline the key elements of the arrangement with the IMF at a special session, as well as a memorandum on the budget, economic and fiscal policy for this year, and projections for the next two years.

He told journalists in parliament that it was high time that parliament discussed everyday themes, such as the financial crisis, “which is battering us, and the measures that the government will take in light of the confusing information that its representatives have been feeding us.“

Democratic Party spokeswoman Jelena Trivan said that the government was currently reviewing possible savings measures and was ready to reduce the number of ministries if it would mean genuine savings.

“We’re ready to cut the number of ministries if it means genuine savings, but we think that cutting the number of ministries, that’s to say cutting ministerial positions without practical measures for cutting the public administration that goes hand in hand with these ministries’ portfolios, would not in itself mean a great deal,“ Trivan told journalists in parliament.

She added that such an act would “admittedly have political significance and would send a message to the public that the government is prepared to show solidarity with society by contracting its own functions.“