ZAGREB, 27 May 2022 - The parliament on Friday passed by a majority vote a revised budget for 2022, whereby the expenditure side will increase by HRK 10.9 billion to HRK 184.7 billion and the revenues will go up by 6.6 billion to HRK 171 billion.

As a result, this year's budget deficit will widen from the initial projections of 2.6% of the GDP to the deficit-to-GDP ratio of 2.8%.

Most of the rejigged budget outlays refer to the health system, in the amount of HRK 4 billion, of which the largest share will be used to cover hospitals' and pharmacies' debt to suppliers.

The opposition MPs who voted against the budget revision criticized the proposal as bad.

In mid-may, the Fiscal Policy Commission said that it believed that the proposed 2022 budget revision was appropriate to the current circumstances however, this independent body underscores that it is necessary for Croatia to absorb more EU funds to fund investments and schemes to boost productivity and implement cost-cutting reforms.

In a press release released on 17 May, the commission underscored the need to implement reforms to limit expenditure for healthcare, pensions, and unemployment benefits.

Also today, the parliament passed a law on the registry of persons with disabilities.

The legislation on investment stimulation was today endorsed, providing for some additional benefits for users of state subsidies for investments in the event when their projects are affected by extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

(€1 = HRK 7.529160)

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ZAGREB, 2 Dec 2021 - The Croatian Parliament will begin next week's session already on Monday after 475 amendments have been submitted to the 2022 budget proposal, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković announced at the start of the Parliament session on Thursday. 

The amendments will be discussed on Monday and Tuesday and the budget proposal will be put to a vote on Wednesday, Jandroković said.

Lawmakers discussed the budget proposal all day on Wednesday, with opposition MPs saying that the budget is unrealistic and impracticable in the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic and the ruling majority claiming the opposite.

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 percent of GDP.

Jandroković also announced a discussion on amendments to the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases Act for next Thursday.

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