INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL IN CROATIA'S ECONOMY ANALYSED

ZAGREB, Jan 25 (Hina) - The backbone of Croatia's economy is comprised of the City of Zagreb and four of 21 counties -- Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Split-Dalmatia, and Osijek-Baranja -- three key economy sectors -- industry, trade, and transport and communications -- and 500 companies, according to an analysis of the success of intellectual capital in Croatian economy broken down by county which was presented at the Zagreb branch of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) on Friday. #L# The analysis was made by the Centre for Intellectual Capital at the HGK's proposal. Taking value added as the criterion to assess the success of business operations, it covered 56,987 legal subjects and was compiled on the basis of their annual reports on operations, balance, profits and losses between 1997 and 2001. The analysis shows that the City of Zagreb, accounting for 55 percent of newly created value, is the generator of Croatia's economy -- accounting, together with the five most productive counties, for 80 percent of overall value generated. Istria County recorded an outstanding growth in value generated, increasing its share in overall value added in Croatia over the five-year period mentioned by 1.4 percent, a feat no other country managed to achieve. Between 1997 and 2001, Istria County doubled the annual value it creates to almost five billion kuna (EUR666 million). (EUR1 = 7.5 kuna) (hina) ha