MPs to vote Wednesday on budget revision

The Serbian parliament on Tuesday completed the debate on the amendments to the budget revision proposal and to the six accompanying bills. The legislation proposes a change of taxes and reduction of state expenditure. MPs to vote Wednesday on budget revision Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic scheduled the vote on all the bills for Wednesday afternoon. Finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic said she expects that the proposed budget revision will be adopted, and that MPs of the ruling majority in Vojvodina will be assured Wednesday, "that the Constitution will be respected and that the provincial budget will amount to seven percent of the republican one". But it remains unclear whether the government will manage to muster support for the proposals. Earlier today, reports said that the adoption of the budget review is again in the balance, after Dragutinovic said Vojvodina would not receive its 7 percent until June. Vojvodina parties claim that this was not the agreement that they reached with the prime minister. Dragutinovic, however, says that the remaining EUR 63mn needed to fill the seven percent quota from the budget will not be given to Vojvodina straight away. She said that the province would receive the rest of its money upon adoption of the law on the transfer of jurisdictions. Just when it seemed the problems over the adoption of the budget review had been resolved, Dragutinovic’s statement has brought the situation into doubt again. “First the budget review will be passed, and then the law on the transfer of jurisdictions on June 1. What’s important is that there is seven percent, and they will get their seven percent. It is irrelevant whether it will start being spent on May 1 for June 1, when it’s the same amount,” Dragutinovic said. She said that this had been agreed between Vojvodina party officials and Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, and that the state had given its word that Vojvodina would receive all of its money. “A guarantee was given, and an agreement was reached, and we are working quickly on the law on the transfer of jurisdictions,” Dragutinovic said. The League of Vojvodina Social Democrats (LSV) stated that this was not the agreement reached with Cvetkovic, and that they had agreed that they would be receiving their seven percent right away. “If the minister is right, not the prime minister, though we have no reason not to believe the prime minister, the League of Vojvodina Social Democrats, and probably the Vojvodina Hungarian Alliance, will not support the review,” LSV official Aleksandra Jerkov said. Vojvodina Hungarian official Balint Pastot said that the finance minister’s idea was unacceptable and that his party would not support the budget in that event. The votes of both Vojvodina parties are needed for the review to be adopted. (FoNet archive)

MPs to vote Wednesday on budget revision

Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović scheduled the vote on all the bills for Wednesday afternoon.

Finance Minister Diana Dragutinović said she expects that the proposed budget revision will be adopted, and that MPs of the ruling majority in Vojvodina will be assured Wednesday, "that the Constitution will be respected and that the provincial budget will amount to seven percent of the republican one".

But it remains unclear whether the government will manage to muster support for the proposals.

Earlier today, reports said that the adoption of the budget review is again in the balance, after Dragutinović said Vojvodina would not receive its 7 percent until June.

Vojvodina parties claim that this was not the agreement that they reached with the prime minister. Dragutinović, however, says that the remaining EUR 63mn needed to fill the seven percent quota from the budget will not be given to Vojvodina straight away.

She said that the province would receive the rest of its money upon adoption of the law on the transfer of jurisdictions.

Just when it seemed the problems over the adoption of the budget review had been resolved, Dragutinović’s statement has brought the situation into doubt again.

“First the budget review will be passed, and then the law on the transfer of jurisdictions on June 1. What’s important is that there is seven percent, and they will get their seven percent. It is irrelevant whether it will start being spent on May 1 for June 1, when it’s the same amount,” Dragutinović said.

She said that this had been agreed between Vojvodina party officials and Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković, and that the state had given its word that Vojvodina would receive all of its money.

“A guarantee was given, and an agreement was reached, and we are working quickly on the law on the transfer of jurisdictions,” Dragutinović said.

The League of Vojvodina Social Democrats (LSV) stated that this was not the agreement reached with Cvetković, and that they had agreed that they would be receiving their seven percent right away.

“If the minister is right, not the prime minister, though we have no reason not to believe the prime minister, the League of Vojvodina Social Democrats, and probably the Vojvodina Hungarian Alliance, will not support the review,” LSV official Aleksandra Jerkov said.

Vojvodina Hungarian official Balint Pastot said that the finance minister’s idea was unacceptable and that his party would not support the budget in that event.

The votes of both Vojvodina parties are needed for the review to be adopted.