Dinkić: MPs to take pay cut too

The govt.’s savings measures include pay cuts for MPs, while bonuses and expenses will be suspended for the duration of the crisis, says Mladjan Dinkic. According to the economy minister, economic and all other licence plates for non-Serbian vehicles will be scrapped in a move expected to bring in several million euros worth of receipts. Dinkic: MPs to take pay cut too Dinkic told B92 that MPs, like everyone else, would be subject to the government’s savings measures. “The salaries of the president and MPs will be cut, as will salaries in the National Bank, the Chamber of Commerce and in all the public enterprises, both at republic and local level,” he said. As far as bonuses are concerned, the minister said that they had been scrapped for this year, and that it had been agreed at a meeting of the For a European Serbia coalition that they would remain suspended until the end of the economic crisis. The government also expects to recoup EUR 53mn by increasing excise on fuel. Dinkic said that that decision had been inevitable. “It’s better to increase fuel by two dinars or diesel by four, than to have to cut pensions. So, it was a necessary evil, we had to make savings of over EUR 1bn,” said the minister. He dismissed claims that Serbia was on the verge of bankruptcy, stating that the state had hit problems because of the crisis that had been brought on by external factors, and that the government was therefore taking measures to tackle them. Mladjan Dinkic (Tanjug, archive)

Dinkić: MPs to take pay cut too

Dinkić told B92 that MPs, like everyone else, would be subject to the government’s savings measures.

“The salaries of the president and MPs will be cut, as will salaries in the National Bank, the Chamber of Commerce and in all the public enterprises, both at republic and local level,” he said.

As far as bonuses are concerned, the minister said that they had been scrapped for this year, and that it had been agreed at a meeting of the For a European Serbia coalition that they would remain suspended until the end of the economic crisis.

The government also expects to recoup EUR 53mn by increasing excise on fuel. Dinkić said that that decision had been inevitable.

“It’s better to increase fuel by two dinars or diesel by four, than to have to cut pensions. So, it was a necessary evil, we had to make savings of over EUR 1bn,” said the minister.

He dismissed claims that Serbia was on the verge of bankruptcy, stating that the state had hit problems because of the crisis that had been brought on by external factors, and that the government was therefore taking measures to tackle them.