Members of the Serbian Parliament will begin deliberating on the proposed 2025 national budget, along with accompanying legislative changes.
According to the Government of Serbia’s proposal, the expected revenues and receipts for the budget next year will total 2,346.2 billion dinars, while expenditures and expenses are projected at 2,660.2 billion dinars. This would result in a budget deficit of approximately three percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The government’s economic growth forecast for 2025 is 4.2 percent of GDP. The public debt of the general government is projected to stand at 47.5 percent of GDP in 2025, with 762.9 billion dinars (or 7.4 percent of GDP) allocated for capital investments.
The Finance Committee will hold a public hearing today in the Serbian Parliament on the Draft Law on the 2025 Budget and the Draft Law on the Final Account of the 2023 Budget. The event will feature key figures including Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, Governor of the National Bank of Serbia Jorgovanka Tabaković, President of the Fiscal Council of Serbia Blagoje Paunović, and President of the State Audit Institution Duško Pejović.
Tomorrow’s parliamentary session will cover more than 50 items, including discussions on the 2025 budget proposal. Notable items on the agenda include a proposed amendment to the Criminal Code, as well as changes to the Law on Games of Chance, the Law on Energy, and the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance. Other proposed laws to be discussed include the Draft Law on Services and the Draft Law on Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment.
The session will also cover a variety of financial matters, including money laundering prevention, excise taxes, infrastructure and energy projects, agricultural incentives, communal activities, and the management of risks related to major accidents involving dangerous substances.
In addition, the Parliament will discuss proposals to ratify several international agreements, contracts, and memoranda. MPs will also address the Proposal for the Election of Council Members of the Energy Agency, candidates for the President of the Commission for the Protection of Competition, and members of the Commission.
Other decisions to be made include the appointment of permanent members to the Republican Election Commission and approval of the 2025 financial plans for the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media, the Energy Agency, and the Securities Commission.
The Government of Serbia also withdrew the Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Law on Higher Education from parliamentary procedure, citing the need for additional consultations.
