Serbia: One-time financial aid and allowances promised for 2022 by President Al. Vuτςiτς

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced the provision of 100 euros in financial assistance to all young people aged sixteen to thirty. This amount will be credited to the bank accounts of the young people on February 1, said in the last interview for 2021 Aleksandar Vucic. The Serbian government has provided a total of 150 euros in financial aid to all citizens in the last two years due to the pandemic, but this is now the first time such assistance has been provided to minors. Bhutic also announced an additional financial assistance of 20,000 dinars (170 euros) for retirees in February and a 70-euro allowance for all health professionals. Justifying these decisions, Vuτςiτς stated that “this is a small sign of attention to the citizens who are being tested because of the crisis caused by the coronavirus”. Opposition parties have stated they will not run in the by-elections, but that Alexander Vuτςiτς’s party will buy votes in the run-up to the spring general elections.

In the annual press conference, Aleksandar Vucic also referred to the demographic and announced that from January 1, a one-time allowance of 2,500 euros will be granted for the birth of the first child and 850 euros for the second and third child. He also stated that the state will provide an allowance of 85 euros per month for the second child, for two years and 100 euros per month for the third child for a period of ten years. He announced the issuance of a presidential decree on the state subsidy for new mothers, in a percentage of 10% to 50% of the first home purchase.

The President of Serbia pointed out that the country’s finances allow the government to subsidize the citizens. He said that for 2021 the growth is 7.5%, the GDP reached 53 billion euros while the public debt decreased to 56.9% of GDP. Government foreign exchange reserves amount to 16.5 billion euros and gold reserves have risen by 12 tonnes over the past three years to 37.3 tonnes, Vucic told a news conference. The President of Serbia estimated that the growth in the next five years will be rapid and expressed his confidence that in 2025 the average salary will reach 900 euros net from the current 560 euros.

Vuτςiτς also addressed political issues at his annual press conference. On the Kosovo issue, he stressed that Belgrade would remain committed to the EU-sponsored dialogue process, but said there would be no response from Pristina. He expressed concern about the behavior of the Kosovo government, saying that Pristina’s intention is to create a climate of tension in order to provoke a reaction from Serbia and the intervention of the international community.

Referring to the military program of the armed forces and the reactions of the United States to the purchase of weapons systems from Russia, Vuτςiτς pointed out that Serbia is not violating any treaty and will continue to strengthen its defense capabilities. “Our equipment is deterrent to anyone who wants to threaten the country’s security. The Serbian army will continue to be reinforced in accordance with all international regulations and regional agreements. We are not a threat to anyone, but we will use our strength to limit any threat to us “, stressed Vuτςiτς.

The President of Serbia also referred to the pandemic and said he was proud of the way it was treated. “During the pandemic, we built three hospitals from scratch, acquired all the vaccines from the first in Europe, and now we have secured all the antiviral drugs made in the USA. We have also secured a new anti-Covid drug that literally saves lives,” Vucic said.

Concluding his interview, the Serbian president said that his biggest wish for 2022 is for the national football team to reach the semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar.

Source: AMPE