Brnabic: We are cutting deficit and increasing wages, pensions, investments

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said on Monday a 2023 budget bill reflected the priorities of her government's programme for the period until 2024 and that maintaining fiscal stability was one of them.

Addressing MPs during a parliamentary debate on the budget bill, Brnabic said the planned budget deficit amounted to 3.3 pct of GDP, compared to 3.9 pct in the 2022 supplementary budget, and noted that this marked a return to pre-crisis years when it comes to that parameter.

"We have the biggest-ever budget for capital investments, we are investing in energy, education, science, innovation and culture. The public debt will be below 60 pct - at 56.1 pct of GDP, and it is very important that we have space and will continue to fight to constantly increase wages and pensions," Brnabic said in the parliament.

She noted that pensions would see a cumulative 20.8 pct rise from January and added that Serbia was one of the few European countries that would increase wages and pensions despite various crises and the Ukraine war.