By Bojana Milovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade -- 14/08/12
The new Serbian cabinet plans to introduce social support for the poor. [Reuters]
At the time of economic crisis, rising unemployment, and poverty in Serbia, the new government faces a hard task of improving social issues.
"We are now trying to ensure that the pensions are paid for September, that's how difficult the situation is," Mladjan Djinkic, Serbian finance and economy minister, told reporters.
The economic crisis provides a challenging environment for Serbia to find funding for social measures, which are some of the most important parts of the agreement the government coalition partners signed before forming new executive authorities.
The Serbian Progressive Party, Socialist Party of Serbia, United Regions of Serbia and smaller parties in the coalition said in their agreement that the government will be socially responsible to protect the most vulnerable population.
The plan is to establish welfare for the poorest. Development of various welfare services at the local level will also be boosted, but with rational spending.
Miodrag Lukic, 42, a Belgrade teacher, said the previous government did not take enough care of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens, but adds he does not trust the new cabinet either.
"The country is in a catastrophic state and I think the new government lacks experienced and professional personnel to deal with the situation. I wish I were wrong," Lukic said.
The new cabinet, however, is making strong promises that family, children and youth will be entitled to appropriate social, legal, and economic protection, with respect to gender equality.
As Serbia has underdeveloped social services and support for the disabled persons, according to representatives of NGOs and parents of the people with disabilities, government officials are promising to ensure that the disabled will exercise their right to independence, social integration and community participation, and the elderly will be provided health care and assistance.
Pensioner Milica Stamenkovic, 67, said the new cabinet should be given a chance to show its social responsibility. "Authorities have been deceiving us for the past decade and destroyed what not even Slobodan Milosevic had managed to destroy. It can't get any worse than this, which is why I'm giving a chance to the new government," Stamenkovic told SETimes.
Pensioners who receive less than 150 euros per month will receive a 13th pension in the amount of 150 euros, in four equal instalments.
Rasim Ljajic, the deputy prime minister and trade minister, said the new government must, at this time of crisis, ensure the workers' rights and that employers must meet a set of conditions.
"The new government should pass a new labour law and strengthen the protection of labour rights. Greater social dialogue is also needed, primarily with union representatives," Ljajic told SETimes.
Zoran Mihajlovic, the vice president of the biggest union organisation in Serbia, the Alliance of Independent Unions, said union representatives expect the new government to start solving the biggest problem -- unemployment, currently at about 24 percent in Serbia.
The government adopted a social entrepreneurship law to provide employment, up to one percent, to active population from marginalised social groups not competitive on the labour market.
"We expect investment to kick off so as to get the economy going. We also expect an enhanced social dialogue, I think we haven't had a real one for decades," Mihajlovic told SETimes.
He said the regulations and laws which the new government will pass will not benefit employees, but still hopes the unions will be consulted in the process.
"If continuity is achieved with the actions of the previous two cabinets that have sent laws to the parliament with almost no public debate, we'll have a conflict with this new government as well," Mihajlovic said.
Source: SETimes.com
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