The Minister of Finance, Sinisa Mali, stated today in the discussion on the budget rebalance that the investments in the enviornment in Serbia have been increased in relation to the initial budget by 135 million euros and now amounts to 200 million euros.
“Investments in green economy and environmental protection are three times higher. Of those 135 million, 34 million are with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and an additional 101 million euros with the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure and it refers to the construction of landfills in 28 local governments, wastewater treatment plants in 65 local governments,” the minister said.
Today, the deputies of the Assembly of Serbia supported the proposal of the rebalance of the Budget for 2021 and announced that they would vote for the proposed changes.
The MP of the Justice and Reconciliation Party, Muamer Zukorlic, said that the priority of the rebalance is the health sector, protection of citizens and a successful fight against Covid 19.
“We are also expecting the construction of a clinical-hospital center in Novi Pazar or an upgrade because serious investments have already taken place in the health sector and capital projects,” said Zukorlic.
He stated that he expects the continuation of the gas pipeline project, the construction of a railway and better roads in Sandzak, because “a hole in the road breaks the wheel of a car, it does not know whether a Serbian car or a Bosniak car will hit it.”
The MP of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDPS), Milorad Mijatovic, said that in November, when the budget was adopted, it was not possible to know in which direction the Covid-19 pandemic would go, and that is why the rebalance is being considered today.
“I said about the Budget for 2021 that it is realistic, stable, represents continuity and has a pronounced development component, and all those components still stand today. The budget was made by a conservative method and everything that was planned is being realized,” Mijatovic said.
He added that he was especially satisfied with the new Covid hospital that is being built in Novi Sad, which will become a city hospital when the Covid passes.
Zoltan Pek from the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians praised that the state will bear all the burden of this crisis and give full assistance to the economy and citizens.
“Investment in capital investments at the state level will be 7.2 percent of GDP, which is 3.6 billion euros that will be invested in infrastructure. As we have heard, four highways are being built and four more are planned to be built in this rebalance,” Pek said and stated that it is a section Belgrade-Zrenjanin, Surcin – New Belgrade, Frushkogorski corridor, bypass around Gornji Milanovac.
Pek also stressed the importance of investing in the Hungarian-Serbian railway project as well as additional investments in healthcare.
The head of the parliamentary group, Djordje Milicevic, announced that the Socialists will also vote for the rebalance, emphasizing that Serbia is entering 2021 strong and economically stable.
“Through the budget, the pillars of development have been defined, the goals that are to be achieved, and this rebalance is actually the realization of that path,” Milicevic said.
He added that the first two aid packages showed results, and the third package aims to preserve the economy and provide a good period after the pandemic.
SNS MP Aleksandra Tomic said that opposition representatives such as Dragan Djilas, Vuk Jeremic and Bosko Obradovic laughed that Serbia had a four-year budget surplus and said that the state did not know how to project a budget, and that there was no such surplus.
Tomic added that the state wants to alleviate the crisis equally for all citizens and that is why every citizen who applies should receive assistance of 60 euros.
She also mentioned investments in health, the hospital, but also infrastructure and environmental protection, Novi Magazin reports.
