Serbian Parliament adopted the budget for 2025; Mali: The first budget with investment ranking VIDEO

There were a total of 68 items on the agenda.

Serbian Parliament adopted the budget for 2025.

At around 10:30 a.m., the members of the Serbian Parliament started the session where they should vote on all items on the agenda, including the Budget Proposal for 2025, while the opposition does not participate in the work of the session.

The session is attended by 146 MPs, that is, the majority of the total number of MPs. There are a total of 68 items on the agenda that MPs vote on, among other things, there are also amendments to the Criminal Code proposed by SNS MPs, which include stricter penalties for assaults on healthcare, educational workers and employees of social welfare institutions.

Among the items on the agenda were several memoranda, agreements and contracts that the Assembly needs to ratify.

The opposition announced earlier at the press conference that it will not participate in any way in the work of today's session, nor in the voting, and that it will file a criminal complaint against the President of the Assembly Ana Brnabić for, as they claim, abuse of official position.

The representatives of the opposition announced that they will submit a request for the dismissal of the Speaker of the Parliament due to violation of procedures.

"This is the first budget that we are defending as a country with an investment rating, after the agency "Standard and Poor's" increased it to the BBB- level in October, which is the first time in our history that we have been placed in this rank", minister of finance Sinisa Mali announced on Instagram.

"With the budget for 2025, we continue the policy of further economic strengthening of our country, support for citizens and the economy, but also mitigation of the consequences of global challenges, to fight for a strong and powerful country and for a stable economy. Improving the quality of life of citizens and raising their standards are the Government's priorities of Serbia, and the upcoming increases in those incomes will not threaten the stability of our public finances. In 2025, salaries in the public sector will increase by eight to 11 percent, while the minimum wage will be higher by 13.7 percent. The average pension for 2025 is EUR 436. We expect that the average salary in December will be between EUR 920 and 925 euros, and in December of the following year from 1,022 euros," Mali wrote on Instagram.

"We continue with the implementation of large capital projects, because their implementation contributes to the further growth of GDP, attracting new investors, and consequently improving the quality of life of citizens. No capital project has been stopped, and 762.9 billion dinars, or 7, 4 percent of GDP. The share of capital expenditures in GDP was 2 percent in 2013. We plan the money for the construction or reconstruction of highways, railways, bridges, and hospitals centers, hospitals, health centers, ecology, for large sports facilities and the organization of the EXPO exhibition in 2027, as well as for the procurement of equipment in the security sector. The projected rate of economic growth for 2025 is 4.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and the budget deficit will amount to three percent of GDP. The public debt of the general government is projected at 47.5 percent of GDP in 2025. The budget provided money to increase salaries in the public sector by eight percent, for educators by 11 percent from next year, and for pensioners by 10.9 percent, starting with the pension checks for December of this year. When it comes to investments, 7.4 percent of GDP is set aside for capital investments, which amounts to 762.9 billion dinars, which is planned to be invested in high-speed roads, high-speed railways, highways, health centers, schools, hospitals.

2.5 percent of Serbia's GDP was allocated for the Serbian Army, 17.2 billion dinars for the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, plus two billion dinars for the National Employment Service, to support the unemployed from the territory of the AP of Kosovo and Metohija. The agricultural budget amounts to 138.5 billion dinars, plus 11 billion refractions for fuel, so about 150 billion dinars, which is 7.5 percent of the total budget revenues.

Allocations for healthcare increased by about 40 billion dinars compared to last year, from 573.6 billion to 613.9 billion dinars. That money is intended for an eight percent increase in the salaries of healthcare workers from January 1 next year, for preventive examinations, for reducing the waiting list, drugs for the treatment of rare diseases, innovative drugs and the like, and large capital investments in healthcare will continue.

The budget for culture was increased from 15.6 to 17.8 billion dinars, and an additional 4.3 million euros from the Ministry of Public Investment, which are related to new facilities in the field of culture that are being reconstructed or built.