August 15 (SeeNews) - Serbia's government will increase salaries in the public sector and pensions by the end of next month, finance minister Sinisa Mali said.
In three weeks' time the government will adopt a decision on hiking the minimum hourly net wage, Mali said in a government press release on Wednesday.
Talks with employers and trade unions have been carried out, Mali said, adding that the expected increase of the minimum hourly labour cost will not exceed last year's hike of 8.6%.
Serbia ran a budget surplus of 48.5 billion dinars ($459 million/412 million euro) in January-July, which leaves enough room for the planned rise of salaries and pensions, Mali said. He added that based on the current economic indicators, the average monthly salary in Serbia should top 500 euro in December.
In September 2018, the government increased the minimum hourly net wage by 8.6% to 155.3 dinars ($1.48/1.32 euro) from 143 dinars, as of January 1, 2019.
Serbia's average net wage increased by a real 7.5% year-on-year to 55,380 dinars ($525/470 euro) in May, according to the most recent data available from the country's statistical office.
(1 euro = 117.726 dinars)