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Measures to fight financial crisis will yield anticipated effects
Belgrade,
30 April 2009
Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic stated that he is optimistic that the measures the government adopted to fight the crisis will yield expected results, adding that the VAT increase will be the ultimate resort.
In an interview for the holiday edition of the Blic daily, Cvetkovic said that after the budget revision, not a single minister was satisfied with the funds in their ministry budget, but everyone is pleased that the revision was adopted unanimously.
He announced that in the upcoming nine months the number of employees in public administration will be reduced by 10 %, but that the process can be carried out only after it is determined which posts are really needed.
The Prime Minister stressed that another set of measures will accompany the harmonised fiscal and monetary policies.
Upon remarks that the government is faced with union protests on the eve of the May 1 holidays, which manifests the malcontent of citizens affected by the crisis, Cvetkovic said that any crisis always gives rise to problems, but added that the government has the answer.
Unions have the right to protest. Every constructive proposal they made has been taken into account. Everything we discussed at the Social Economic Council and everything that made sense was embraced. Crisis is always a cause of discontent and I do not expect applause, but I am calm because I know we are making the right moves, the Prime Minister said.
He voiced his belief that in June the EU will make an important decision on visa liberalisation for Serbian citizens, as well as that visas will be abolished by year’s end.
Speaking about the construction of the South Stream pipeline, Cvetkovic voiced his expectation that this will not be a problem and that the dispute between Bulgaria and Russia will be resolved.
He announced that in the upcoming nine months the number of employees in public administration will be reduced by 10 %, but that the process can be carried out only after it is determined which posts are really needed.
The Prime Minister stressed that another set of measures will accompany the harmonised fiscal and monetary policies.
Upon remarks that the government is faced with union protests on the eve of the May 1 holidays, which manifests the malcontent of citizens affected by the crisis, Cvetkovic said that any crisis always gives rise to problems, but added that the government has the answer.
Unions have the right to protest. Every constructive proposal they made has been taken into account. Everything we discussed at the Social Economic Council and everything that made sense was embraced. Crisis is always a cause of discontent and I do not expect applause, but I am calm because I know we are making the right moves, the Prime Minister said.
He voiced his belief that in June the EU will make an important decision on visa liberalisation for Serbian citizens, as well as that visas will be abolished by year’s end.
Speaking about the construction of the South Stream pipeline, Cvetkovic voiced his expectation that this will not be a problem and that the dispute between Bulgaria and Russia will be resolved.
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