SPLIT SPLIT, Jan 3 (Hina) - Heading a delegation of government ministers and parliamentary deputies, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader paid an official visit to Split on Saturday.
SPLIT, Jan 3 (Hina) - Heading a delegation of government ministers and
parliamentary deputies, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader paid an
official visit to Split on Saturday.#L#
Talking to reporters after a closed-door working meeting with county
and city officials, Sanader said the government would make a decision
on the reduction of the VAT rate from 22 to 20 percent at a session on
Monday.
"We have not given up that decision, as some media have wrongly
concluded, because the government will send a proposal to that effect
into parliamentary procedure immediately after Monday's session, as
only parliament can decide about it. VAT cannot be reduced
retroactively, and it will be reduced by 1 January 2005 at the
latest," Sanader said.
He added that the government would cooperate with consumer
associations with regard to this issue.
Asked about the situation with buffer stocks, Sanader said the
government would discuss that matter on Monday and that he would order
an investigation to establish why there was lack of buffer stocks.
The PM presented renowned Croatian scientist Miroslav Radman with a
document appointing him the Prime Minister's advisor on science.
Recalling that academician Radman had established the Institute for
the Studay of Life in Split several months ago, Sanader said the
government backed the project and would secure one billion euros for
its work.
He also voiced support for all development projects presented by the
county and city authorities.
He said that works on the Dubrovnik-Split-Zagreb highway would
continue at the same pace, adding that the highway belonged neither
to the former nor the current government, but was a project to make
real the dream of linking southern Croatia with the country's
capital.
One of the priorities of the new government is also the construction
of a bridge linking the town of Komarna with the Peljesac peninsula
near Dubrovnik to improve the accessibility of the city, he said.
Sanader and Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic said a cultural centre
dedicated to the father of Croatian literature, Marko Marulic, would
be built in Split.
This year's budget, the PM said, would include funds for a programme
to help areas in six counties that were hit by fires last summer.
Accompanied by their host Miroslav Radman, Sanader and his associates,
including Parliament President Vladimir Seks and Vice-President Luka
Bebic, Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul, Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic
and the Minister for the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development,
Bozidar Kalmeta, toured the Institute for the Study of Life.
(Hina) rml