Marko Sirac of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) asked the minister during Question Time in Parliament in what stage of privatisation the rolling mill was and what steps were being taken to avoid unsuccessful privatisation as was the case with the Sisak ironworks, of which the rolling mill is a part.
Vukelic said that the government would know how to ensure that a strategic partner that would purchase the rolling mill retained all 1,309 workers and continued production.
The minister denied allegations of the forthcoming closure of the shipyards Kraljevica and Brodotrogir, insisting that there were no privileged shipyards. He said that the Uljanik shipyard was the only one to have undergone full restructuring and to be operating without losses.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that in the next few weeks a government task force would finalise and present to the public plans for the restructuring of the shipyards as has been done in all EU countries other than Poland.
Sanader rejected as unfounded claims by Slavko Linic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that there was growing insolvency, particularly among users of the state budget.