WASHINGTON, April 12 (Hina) - A delegation of the Croatian government told World Bank officials on Saturday that Zagreb would carry out programmes the implementation of which was a condition for receiving the second part of a loan for
the country's structural adjustments. Besides, Croatian representatives said they were expecting of the World Bank to help strengthen the country's private sector.
WASHINGTON, April 12 (Hina) - A delegation of the Croatian
government told World Bank officials on Saturday that Zagreb would
carry out programmes the implementation of which was a condition
for receiving the second part of a loan for the country's structural
adjustments. Besides, Croatian representatives said they were
expecting of the World Bank to help strengthen the country's
private sector. #L#
The Croatian delegation, led by Vice Premier Slavko Linic, is
attending a spring session of the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund in Washington over the weekend.
On Saturday, the Croatian officials held several meetings in the
Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the
implementation of the Structural Adjustment Loan (SAL) granted to
Croatia for adjusting its pension and social insurance funds.
"We have primarily talked about the government's obligations in
relation to a law on bankruptcy procedures, a law on companies and
on a labour law," Linic told the Croatian reporters after his visit
to the said institutions.
According to Linic, he and his interlocutors concluded that before
the coming elections in Croatia, the Ivica Racan Cabinet will carry
out programmes, which it has described as its priorities, so that
Zagreb could draw the second instalment of the SAL.
The interlocutors of the Croatian delegation were World Bank Vice-
Chairman, in charge of Europe and central Asia, Johannes Linn and
the executive director in charge of Croatia, Ad Malkert and the IFC
executive vice-president, Peter Woick.
The talks in the IFC, which is a part of the World Bank Group,
revolved around the encouragement to Croatia's private sector.
"We have there talked about companies in the food-processing
sector, shipbuilding yards, insurance companies and the Postanska
Banka (Postal Bank)," Linic said.
He added that the Croatian side maintained that it would be
necessary for the World Bank and the Croatian government to draw up
a new programme aimed at the reorganisation of the government,
administration and public sector so that those segments might
become closer to the European Union standards.
On Sunday, the Croatian delegation will visit the IMF.
(hina) ms