Gov't endorses 9 budget amendments, fuel prices to be uncapped in Croatia as of Tuesday

A total of 475 amendments have been submitted to the 2022 draft budget, and the government stated on Monday, that it would accept nine of them, which include five amendments proposed by the Opposition.

The parliament is expected to discuss those 475 amendments on Monday and Tuesday, and the adoption of the budget is on the agenda on Wednesday.

Finance Ministry State Secretary Zdravko Zrinušić said today that during the parliamentary discussion, the government's representatives would endorse the nine amendments, including one submitted by ethnic Roma MP, Veljko Kajtazi, on an outlay of HRK 400,000 for the implementation of the national plan for the inclusion of the Roma minority in 2022.

An amendment submitted by the Green-Left Bloc of opposition MPs on the housing accommodation of victims of domestic violence will be adopted in a modified form, and the outlay for this purpose in 2022 will thus rise by HRK 4.4 million.

Commenting on this amendment, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the the modification of the amendment was made to additionally increase the funds for this purpose.

 "The message is that we want to prevent the violence against women, primarily the domestic violence, and we have been fighting for that aim since the start of our term," Plenković said, condemning again the recent case of feminicide in Split.

The government has okayed and partly changed the amendment proposed by Croatian People's Party (HSS) MP Željko Lenart whereby the allocation for the Croatian library for the blind will increase by HRK 100,000 next year.

The amendment proposed by the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) was also adopted in a modified form to enable the plan for the reconstruction of the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč to get an additional million kuna.

Furthermore, the amendment proposed by Vesna Vučemilović of the Croatian Sovereignists  was also endorsed in a modified form so that an additional 600,000 kuna can be set aside for the international promotion of the Croatian agricultural and wood-processing sector in 2022.

HRK 6 million will be added to the funds for the Čakovec-based Centre for Education, in line with the proposed amendments submitted by Social Democrat PM Boška Ban Vlahek.

The government accepted the amendment proposed by the club of HNS, HSU and independents on a million kuna to be earmarked for the plan of reconstruction of Osijek's Old City.

The remaining two amendments, submitted by HDZ PMs, stipulate a million kuna for Zagreb's Hospital for Infectious Diseases and HRK 17.7 million for the Bjelovar-based general hospital.

The 2022 budget proposal projects revenues of HRK 164.5 billion, expenditures of HRK 173.8 billion and the general government budget deficit of HRK 12 billion or 2.6 per cent of GDP.

Fuel prices to be uncapped in Croatia as of Tuesday

The 14 October decree, based on the Petroleum Products Acts, was adopted in a bid to help households to alleviate price hikes.

The decision to annul the restrictions of fuel prices takes effect on Tuesday.

Commenting on the purpose of the price restrictions as a measure to help citizens and businesses to cushion the price blow to their standards, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at the government's meeting today that the introduction of the restrictions a month and a half ago was "an excellent move".

"Some countries have followed our example. Having in mind the principles of the free market and against the background of the changed circumstances, we can annul that decree now," Plenković said.

Economy Minister Tomislav Ćorić said the decree on capping the prices had fulfilled its purpose, adding that in the last two months the domestic market had been stabilised.

Underscoring that the fuel prices are uncapped as of Tuesday, Ćorić expressed hope that there would be no price turbulence on the global markets any longer. However, the government will respond to such changes, if necessary, he added.

Last week, crude oil prices on the London market fell by nearly 4%, and by 2.8% on the U.S. market. The prices have been decreasing for six weeks in a row after they hit a record high in late October.

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