Top state salaries "make little sense"

The Serbian parliament speaker's cabinet chief has a higher salary than the speaker herself, Belgrade daily Blic writes. Not only that, the newspaper reveals, but the cabinet chief's monthly earnings top those of the prime minister, all his deputies and cabinet ministers. Top state salaries "make little sense" Only the president with his RSD 141.890 paycheck can boast a higher salary than Danica Milovanovic, who receives RSD 128,392, or some EUR 1,360, each month. At the same time, this salary system for state officials and clerks has assistants to ministers making more than ministers and deputy prime ministers. This unusual situation, according to the newspaper, is not new, and is made possible depending on "who determines the base salaries", and, "according to which law". Namely, the salaries of elected persons are determined according to the Law on Salaries in the State Bodies and Public Services, while the salaries of employees in professional and assistant services of the state apparatus are determined according to the Law on Salaries of the State Employees. For years, the base salaries of the president, MPs, the speaker, the state prosecutor etc. have been set by the Administrative Board of the Serbian Parliament, while other employees have theirs determined annually by the state budget. Not only that, the daily writes, but certain government decisions have removed some employees from that legal framework, with a special decision in effect on the salaries of those appointed to the General Secretariat of the Government, which is determining the paychecks of the secretary general, chiefs of PM's cabinet, deputy prime ministers, ministers and their assistants.

Top state salaries "make little sense"

Only the president with his RSD 141.890 paycheck can boast a higher salary than Danica Milovanović, who receives RSD 128,392, or some EUR 1,360, each month.

At the same time, this salary system for state officials and clerks has assistants to ministers making more than ministers and deputy prime ministers.

This unusual situation, according to the newspaper, is not new, and is made possible depending on "who determines the base salaries", and, "according to which law".

Namely, the salaries of elected persons are determined according to the Law on Salaries in the State Bodies and Public Services, while the salaries of employees in professional and assistant services of the state apparatus are determined according to the Law on Salaries of the State Employees.

For years, the base salaries of the president, MPs, the speaker, the state prosecutor etc. have been set by the Administrative Board of the Serbian Parliament, while other employees have theirs determined annually by the state budget.

Not only that, the daily writes, but certain government decisions have removed some employees from that legal framework, with a special decision in effect on the salaries of those appointed to the General Secretariat of the Government, which is determining the paychecks of the secretary general, chiefs of PM's cabinet, deputy prime ministers, ministers and their assistants.