SIBENIK SIBENIK, June 5 (Hina) - The seventh national symposium on small business started in Sibenik Thursday under the organisation of the crafts, small and middle-scale business ministry.
SIBENIK, June 5 (Hina) - The seventh national symposium on small
business started in Sibenik Thursday under the organisation of the
crafts, small and middle-scale business ministry. #L#
Opening the conference, Crafts, Small and Middle-Scale
Entrepreneurship Minister Zeljko Pecek said that thanks to loans
for the development of small business and direct financial
injections, 40,000 jobs and 16,000 new crafts, companies and co-
operatives had been created and 5,300 loans granted.
Pecek said it was realistic to expect 151,000 new jobs to be created
in small business by 2006, as envisaged by the government's
developmental programme for that section of the economy.
"While GDP in Croatia grew by 5.2 percent last year, small
businessmen realised a ten percent growth, 20 in some areas," Pecek
said, adding that small business was the locomotive of Croatia's
development.
The symposium is attended by Stefan Hlawacek, deputy secretary-
general of the European association of crafts, trade and small-
scale entrepreneurship, as well a representatives of several
European associations dealing with crafts and business.
(hina) lml sb