National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Friday, 2 October 2009
Twelfth Sitting of the Poverty Reduction Committee
At the sitting on 2 October, the Poverty Reduction Committee discussed the Report on the poverty situation in Serbia.
At the sitting on 2 October, the Poverty Reduction Committee discussed the Report on the poverty situation in
The Report was presented by the representative of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Team for the Implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy in
Ivana Cirkovic reminded the Committee that in 2003, when the strategy was adopted, 14% of Serbia’s population was declared poor, but that the number was halved in 2007 and dropped to 6.6% as a result of the growth of the domestic product and wages and a rise in foreign remittance.
In 2008, poverty rose to 7.9%, and in the first half of this year to 9.2%, as a result of the economic crisis, rise in food prices, energy-generating products and unemployment.
170 laws from different fields, 145 of which have so far been adopted, should contribute to the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, as a medium term development framework for the reduction of key forms of poverty.
In the continuation, the Committee members were briefed on the activity of the non-government organisation Food Bank, present in
57 tons of food had been collected in the 50 food drives so far, which were then distributed to 8110 socially endangered persons. The organisation aims at forming a permanent donor network so as to ensure continued assistance to its beneficiaries, and to expand the programme to encompass as many Serbian towns as possible. The representatives of the Food Bank made several suggestions how to improve the food collecting conditions and regarding benefits for the donors.
The Committee members endorsed the initiative and proposed an analysis of the legal regulations in the countries with a developed practice of this kind so that Serbian legislative may introduce the positive solutions stemming from the good practice.
Committees related to this activity
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9.35 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the EU High Representatives for Foreign Policy and Security Policy (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 2)
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10.05 - the representatives of opposition parties' parliamentary groups meet with the EU High Representatives for Foreign Policy and Security Policy (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 2)
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12.00 - sitting of the Health and Family Committee (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 3)