ZAGREB, October 15, 2019 – Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said on Tuesday that the government is continuing its policy of increasing wages and improving the financial status of all state administration and public-sector employees.
“Each day we are monitoring what is happening and I do not have anything new to say at the moment. I can just reiterate everything that has been done until now through increases of the base wage and tax reliefs. I repeat, we do not plan to stop here. Our idea is to continue the policy of increasing wages and improving the financial status and conditions for all state administration and public-sector employees,” Marić said.
Marić attended a conference organised by the Hanza Media group entitled Quality Corporate Management. He commented on the strike in the education sector and added that the dialogue would continue.
“It is our responsibility to look at the system in its entirety. I am certain that in the end we will recommend something on the back of what we have been doing all along. Wages are not at the bottom of our list of priorities but in fact at the very top,” he said.
He underscored that the government, acting within budget, was appropriately rewarding work and creating prospects for everyone entering the labour market.
“We are trying not to distinguish between individual sectors. All state administration and public-sector employees contribute to our society, and we want to improve the quality and efficiency of all services,” he added.
Asked whether the state budget would collapse if union demands were met, Marić reiterated that public finances have to be regarded as a whole.
“We are looking at it as a whole. Every portfolio has a defined limit. We increased the base wage by 3% at the beginning of the year and by an additional 2% that entered into force on 1 September. That additional 2% was not planned in the budget but we will secure these funds through savings in various budget items during the year,” he noted.
“Everything will be clearer when next year’s budget is presented,” he said, and because the budget was planned well this year there will be no need for a revision.
He commented on increasingly calls from the opposition for union demands to be met. “The leaders of the parliamentary majority and coalition partners will talk. For me it is important that public finances and the economy are executed without any obstacles,” Marić said.
When it comes to a possible snap election, Marić said that he wasn’t the person to comment on that, however he commented on Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić’s statements that he would only support a government that worked for the benefit of the people.
“The government is working for the benefit of the people. We all have our ideas but we have to draw the line somewhere. With due respect, I don’t think that the solution is always of a financial nature,” he said.
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