Minister Cvetkovic’s interview to Vecernje Novosti - Compromise feeds the budget, November 18, 2007

Our citizens must be aware of the fact that plans for the future must be made within the single-digit framework, said for “Novosti” Serbian Minister of Finance Mirko Cvetkovic, commenting avalanche of criticisms regarding restrictions introduced by next year’s budget.

Can you, as an economic expert, and not as Minister of Finance, give us your view on how this budget was done – according to the economic principles, or as a product of political compromises?

I believe that there isn’t any country’s budget that is fully based on economic principles. Every budget is basically, a financial support to the Government’s policy. That is the case here as well. It is not a result of political compromises in reference to daily policy measures implementation, but more of political compromises referring to the Serbia’s EU association process. Much better budget based on economic principles could not be implemented in these socio-economic circumstances.

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Minister Cvetkovic’s interview to Vecernje Novosti - Compromise feeds the budget, November 18, 2007