Parliament continues budget debate

The Serbian parliament today continued its session postponed on Friday, debating amendments to the budget review draft. This envisages an increase of 40.9 percent in the budget deficit, set to reach RSD 45.8bn, while overall spending would go up to RSD 695.9bn from RSD 680.5bn. Parliament continues budget debate The government explained that this review came because of its decision to increase pensions by ten percent. 84 amendments were submitted to the draft, none of them accepted by the Cvetkovic cabinet. The opposition announced it will not back the proposal, while the ruling coalition MPs were saying that the budget review is "an expression of intentions to realize the priorities the government had set". DSS wants finance minister sacked Democratic Party of Serbia’s (DSS) MPs have asked for Finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic to resign. They explained their request by stating that the draft 2009 Budget was not sent to the parliament within a legal deadline. MP Miroslav Petkovic told a news conference in Belgrade on Monday the minister broke the law on the budget system which states that the draft budget for 2009 must be sent to parliament by November 1. "For days, the DSS has been pointing to this problem. When someone breaks the law, the sanctions are clear. Considering the fact that this case involves the finance minister, the least she can do is to resign,” Petkovic said. The DSS lawmaker explained that the finance minister had to send the draft budget to government by October 15, while government had a November 1 deadline to deliver the proposal to parliament. The 2009 budget should be adopted by December 15. Petkovic also said that the DSS will ask Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic whether she has contacted the government and requested the draft budget for 2009 to be sent before the legal deadline expired.

Parliament continues budget debate

The government explained that this review came because of its decision to increase pensions by ten percent.

84 amendments were submitted to the draft, none of them accepted by the Cvetković cabinet.

The opposition announced it will not back the proposal, while the ruling coalition MPs were saying that the budget review is "an expression of intentions to realize the priorities the government had set".

DSS wants finance minister sacked

Democratic Party of Serbia’s (DSS) MPs have asked for Finance Minister Diana Dragutinović to resign.

They explained their request by stating that the draft 2009 Budget was not sent to the parliament within a legal deadline.

MP Miroslav Petković told a news conference in Belgrade on Monday the minister broke the law on the budget system which states that the draft budget for 2009 must be sent to parliament by November 1.

"For days, the DSS has been pointing to this problem. When someone breaks the law, the sanctions are clear. Considering the fact that this case involves the finance minister, the least she can do is to resign,” Petković said.

The DSS lawmaker explained that the finance minister had to send the draft budget to government by October 15, while government had a November 1 deadline to deliver the proposal to parliament.

The 2009 budget should be adopted by December 15.

Petković also said that the DSS will ask Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović whether she has contacted the government and requested the draft budget for 2009 to be sent before the legal deadline expired.