The Speaker of the Assembly, Ivica Dačić, as one of the first tasks he intended to do, was to raise the prices in the Assembly restaurant, which are below any minimum, which again caused a storm in Parliament!
Introduces the vending machines
While some MPs wholeheartedly support Dacic in this intention, others believe that the speaker of parliament has a smarter job than looking at the price of coffee.
In other words, Dačić said that he had already discussed this issue with the Secretary General of the Serbian Assembly, Veljko Odalović, and that things would soon change in that field.
– Exactly why these prices are must be determined and publicly announced. They tell me that the reason is that it is not a commercial restaurant that earns something, but internal restaurants for all state bodies, they should not charge more than what it really costs – Dacic explained to Kurir and added:
– Tell me what I’m saying is demagoguery … Well, demagoguery is exactly the fact that each report by you journalists is reduced to an account of the parliamentary cafe. It was a topic again the other day. So that the topic is no longer how much coffee and kebabs are, which is why I posed that question. We’ll see how much it can cost, we’re just talking about that. Maybe I’ll introduce them to those vending machines, so the more money they put in, the more coffee they should drink, Dačić says.
photo: Courier
Annoyingly cheap
Secretary General Veljko Odalović does not yet know how much prices would rise. – We still have to meet and discuss this with the Directorate of Common Affairs, in whose jurisdiction it is located. We are simply giving them room to raise prices, and how much it will be, we really can’t know right now, he explained.
The fact is, Assembly restaurant has much lower prices than any other restaurant destined for state authorities. For example, a bottle of mineral water in the Assembly costs 18, while in the Municipal Assembly it is more than double the price, 42 dinars.
MPs declaratively agree that prices could be raised, but for the most part they say that parliament has and should take care of much more important things.
– It’s not that prices in the assembly restaurant aren’t one of the most important things we have to deal with, but it is one of the least important. I agree to highlight the importance of parliament, which will require a whole package of measures, starting with the quality of the staff, mainly the president of the parliament and his vice-presidents, as well as the secretary. We can certainly deal with the issue of prices, but that is something peripheral, said Kurir Muamer Zukorlić, MP and chair of the Justice and Reconciliation Party.
photo: Ana Paunković
Bratislav Jugović, an SNS deputy, is of the same opinion: that this is not the most important issue that parliament should tackle.
– Dacic has a lot of talent to get the attention of the public and knows well how to draw attention to himself, that’s why he is doing it now. While I certainly support rising prices in the parliamentary restaurant, which are irritatingly and outrageously cheap, there is a smarter job in parliament – he noted.
photo: Marina Lopicic
It’s none of my business
SNS MP Milenko Jovanov says Dacic is doing what he thinks he should do.
“I don’t drink coffee in a restaurant and I don’t care at all what he will do about it.” Jovanov was brief in his statement to Kurir.
photo: Marina Lopicic
Vladimir Đukanović, a SNS deputy, told Kurir that he personally is not affected by the price at the parliamentary restaurant because, as he claims, he does not eat there.
– Get up if you get up. I only feel sorry for the employees in the Assembly, because we must think of secretaries and cleaners, for example, who with their salaries cannot afford to eat at higher prices – he said.
Dacic announced that the parliament will also take care of the parking spaces and that it will discuss the issue with the secretary general so that the deputies do not park on the other side of the lawn.
PRICE LIST
mushroom stew 50
spaghetti carbonara 115
scrambled eggs from two eggs 24
pljeskavitsa on kajmak 222
grilled sausage 135
grilled smoked neck 190
stewed green beans 68
coleslaw 20
peach juice 18
espresso with milk 21
tea 13
turkish coffee 5
DRAGAN MARKOVIĆ PALMA
To make it more expensive, but only for MP
photo: Printscreen / TV First
The JS deputy and the president Dragan Markovic Palma, partner of the Dacic coalition, agree with the price increase in the parliament restaurant:
– At the time of the DS, I proposed to abolish the diets of the deputies, which was done. I myself suggested that these prices be increased, but I would do it in such a way that these prices are maintained for journalists and employees in the Assembly, and that they are increased for deputies and it is like in all restaurants.
Kurir.rs/ Ivana Žigić Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
