ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Deputy Prime Minister Andrija Hebrang, who is heading a co-ordinating body for economic issues, has said 2004 will be a more difficult year than the previous ones and that it will be marked by efforts to patch
up holes in the budget which may come to billions of kuna.
ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Deputy Prime Minister Andrija Hebrang, who is
heading a co-ordinating body for economic issues, has said 2004 will
be a more difficult year than the previous ones and that it will be
marked by efforts to patch up holes in the budget which may come to
billions of kuna.#L#
Addressing reporters on Tuesday after a meeting of the coordinating
body, Hebrang recalled hat Croatia was very much indebted abroad, and
that possibilities of incurring new loans were restricted. The debt in
the public health system totals 7.2 billion kuna, Hebrang, who is also
Health Minister, said.
He dismissed media speculations that he had already discontinued the
ongoing investments in public health, adding that investments in some
projects had been only postponed for three months, namely until the
state budget for 2004 was adopted. The drafting of the final version
of the 2004 budget will start after 15 February. By that time, the
government is expected to adopt a decree on the new organisation of
administration.
Hebrang said that the Ivo Sanader Cabinet would not halt the
development of the economy. He corroborated his statement with an
example in the shipbuilding sector which would continue to be
financially supported by the central government. In return, the
government will insist on specifying products which are built into new
ships and which can be manufactured by Croatian companies. The job of
specifying those products will be done with the assistance of the
Croatian Chamber of Economy so as to ensure that a ship built in a
domestic shipyard is a genuine Croatian export product, Hebrang
added.
(Hina)