The Assistant Minister Zeljko Gorsic said in his interview with the "Hrvatski Vojnik" magazine last week that in 2006 there had been plans to lay off 1,877 active-duty officers and 1,223 civil servants working in this sector.
It was managed to carry out 69 percent of the last year's plan with 1,984 active-duty officers and 176 civil servants having left their jobs in the defence sector.
The main problem was the failure to restructure the real estate management department and the aviation overhaul and maintenance centre, he said.
According to a long-term development plan, the Croatian military is to employ 16,000 active-duty officers and 2,000 civil servants until the end of 2009.
This plan also envisages the improvement in the age structure and education of the personnel.
Asked about the preparation for the army professionalisation, Gorsic said that making the army professional does not mean only the cancellation of the mandatory conscription.
He said that professionalisation also required the improvement and adjustment of material and human resources which he described as a demanding organisational process.
Earlier this year the Ivo Sanader cabinet sent to parliament amendments to the Law on Defence that pave the way for the suspension of compulsory military service if security estimates and the situation in the defence sector allow it.
Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic stressed that this did not mean the abolishment of conscription.
Possible suspension means that if security estimates are positive and if there are no threats of war, conscripts will not be drafted.
Suspension can be expected as of 2008.
In case of serious security threats, the President of the Republic can decide on reintroducing compulsory military service. Such a decision, countersigned by the Prime Minister, will be submitted to the parliament to okay it.