Prime Minister Ivo Sanader handed contracts on land donation to the mayor of Prelog and the heads of the four municipalities, expressing satisfaction with the government's results in the establishment of entrepreneurial zones.
There are around 100 entrepreneurial zones in Croatia employing some 14,000 people. The government initially planned the establishment of 20 zones in each county and the City of Zagreb, but there will be many more such zones. According to announcements from local self-government units, some 500 entrepreneurial zones will be established, Sanader said.
It is the government's goal to see entrepreneurial zones launch production, Sanader said, warning that commercial activities rather than production still prevailed in entrepreneurial zones.
The government will grant land to facilitate the establishment of new zones and the expansion of the existing ones, while the Ministry of the Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship will grant non-repayable funds for the drawing up of design documents, the construction of infrastructure, etc.
This year's budget includes 90 million kuna for the establishment of entrepreneurial zones. Together with the land granted by the state, state investments into entrepreneurial zones have seen a significant rise, Sanader said.
The state invested 55 million kuna in the development of entrepreneurial zones last year, and this year it will invest 90 million, Sanader said.