The Committee on Labour, Ex-Servicemen’s and Social Issues held its thirty-fifth sitting on 28 February, chaired by Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic. The sitting was attended by State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Ljiljana Lucic and Assistant Minister Suzana Paunovic.

The Committee members considered the Bill on Social Welfare, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, in principle. On the behalf of the submitters, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Ljiljana Lucic briefly outlined the Bill to the Committee members. Lucic said that the Bill covers the two basic goals defined by the Social Welfare Development Strategy adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia in 2005 viz.: improving the protection of the poorest citizens and developing a service network in the community. The Bill also establishes mechanisms to expand the assistance to the poor by increasing the welfare amounts, and the Bill creates a system for the improvement of the quality of expert services through continuous training, licensing and introduction of a Social Welfare Chamber.

Following a debate, the Committee accepted the Bill on Social Welfare, in principle. Deputy Zlata Djeric, Committee member, reserved her opinion. Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic was designated the Committee’s rapporteur to the National Assembly sitting.