MPs discuss Vojvodina’s budget

BELGRADE -- The Serbian parliament started a new session on Thursday and MPs are discussing changes to the Law on Budget System.

(Tanjug, file)

The changes were proposed by the Vojvodina Assembly but the Serbian government did not approve them.

The parliamentary Finance, Republic Budget and Spending Control Committee did not accept the changes to the law this morning either.

The Vojvodina Assembly has requested that the changes be adopted, claiming that that the last changes cut the province’s budget contrary to the Constitution which says that Vojvodina’s budget amounts to seven percent of the total state budget.

The government, however, proposed parliament on Wednesday not to accept the changes to the law and explained that a total transfer to Vojvodina followed the key changes in the fiscal policy.

Vovjodina Assembly Speaker Ištvan Pastor said yesterday that Vojvodina would lose at least RSD 9.6bn if the Serbian parliament did not adopt the changes to the law and did not change the budget bill for 2013.

Ever since the Constitution was adopted in 2006, the issue of Vojvodina’s budget was raised ahead of every parliamentary debate on the budget.

In 2009, the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), that was a part of the ruling coalition at the time, voted against the state budget for 2010. The party was not satisfied with the funds intended for Kosovo and claimed that the 2010 budget was unconstitutional.

Opposition Democratic Party (DS) has stated that its MPs will support the proposed changes and initiate the adoption of a special law on Vojvodina’s financing and provincial jurisdiction.