BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4885

HR-BULLETIN-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4885 HINA Zagreb 4 February 2003IMF APPROVES USD146 MLN STAND-BY ARRANGEMENT FOR CROATIAWASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Hina) - The International Monetary Fund's Executive Committee on Monday gave the green light to Croatia's request for a 14-month stand-by arrangement, worth 105.9 million of special drawing rights -- approximately US$146 million -- the purpose of which is to support the Croatian economic and financial programme until April 2004. The Croatian government plans to treat this arrangement as a precautionary measure and does not intend to use funds from the loan. The IMF director's first deputy, Anne Krueger, commended Zagreb for the adoption of the 2003 economic programme, which is focused on the fiscal consolidation and structural reform with an emphasis put on the stabilisation of the ratio between the public dept and gross domestic product, a flexible labour market and progress in privatisation. The programme has laid foundatio