Croatian parliament adopts 2021 state budget

(Photo: SaborTV/Screenshot)

ZAGREB, Nov 25 (Hina) – The Croatian parliament on Wednesday adopted the 2021 state budget and projections for 2022 and 2023, while the opposition, unhappy that only a few of its amendments were adopted, boycotted the vote on the amendments but returned for the vote on the budget.

Seventy-six MPs voted in favour, all from the ruling majority, while 49 were against.

Parliament also approved the financial plans of the extra-budgetary users.

The 2021 budget envisages revenues totalling HRK 147.3 billion and expenditures of HRK 157.9 billion. The government projects economic growth of 5% in 2021, 3.4% in 2022 and 3.1% in 2023.

After this year’s HRK 29.5 billion (8% of GDP), the general government deficit is forecast at HRK 11.56 billion in 2021 (2.9% of GDP). It is projected at decreasing to 2.1% in 2022 and to 1.6% in 2023.

Of the 331 amendments submitted to the draft budget, the government endorsed five and parliament adopted them. They ensure an additional HRK 450,000 for youth violence prevention, HRK 500,000 for shelters for domestic violence victims, HRK 10 million for the reconstruction of the Porec police department building, HRK 1.5 million to help persecuted Christians, and HRK 2 million for the Zabok-Krapina-Slovenian border railway.

The opposition boycotted the vote on the amendments because almost all of theirs were rejected and because no majority MPs were present when they were being debated.

They returned for the vote on the budget. Before the vote, Anka Mrak Taritas of GLAS said the budget was conservative and did not make a step forward or ensured Croatia’s future.