Serbian parliament adopts 2025 budget, paves way for wage rises
BELGRADE, Nov 27 (Reuters) -Serbia's parliament adopted a 2025 budget on Wednesday that paves the way for salary rises and envisages a deficit of 3% of gross domestic product and GDP growth of 4.2%.
The budget was adopted without debate due to a brawl that erupted in the parliament on Monday. One hundred and forty four deputies voted in favour of the bill.
The budget, which envisages defence spending of 2.5% of GDP, allows for an 11% increase in teachers' salaries and a 10.9% increase in state pensions as of December.
Last month teachers took to streets to demand higher salaries.
The government said a rise in the healthcare budget would allow an increase in doctors' and nurses' salaries, but did not say by how much.
Prime Minister Milos Vucevic's government has faced a wave of street protests and allegations of corruption and nepotism by the opposition after 15 people were killed in a railway station roof collapse earlier this month.
Government officials deny any wrongdoing.
In October Serbia reached a 36-month deal with the International Monetary Fund to support its economic reforms and make it easier for the Balkan country to secure lending from other sources.
Reporting by Ivana Sekularac
Editing by Christina Fincher
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
