ZAGREB, Dec 21 (Hina) - Croatia's business people are optimistic about forecasts for 2004 in all sectors, except the construction sphere.
ZAGREB, Dec 21 (Hina) - Croatia's business people are optimistic about
forecasts for 2004 in all sectors, except the construction sphere.#L#
According to a traditional opinion poll which the Privredni Vjesnik
journal and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) conduct before
every New Year among business people, a half of respondents fear that
business results might be poor in construction activities in 2004 in
comparison to 2003.
Optimism expressed by 90 business people, covered by this year's
survey, was more moderate than optimism voiced last year, said an
author of the opinion poll, Gorazd Nikic, at last week's presentation
of the polls' results in the offices of the HGK.
For instance, this year 77.7 percent of respondents from the
manufacturing industry say they are expecting that 2004 will be better
than 2003, as against 81.4 percent of optimists at the turn of 2002.
In the commercial sector, there are 69.3 percent optimists and only
15.2 percent of respondents from the construction sector voice high
expectations of the coming 2004 year. On the other hand, even 98
percent of respondents assess 2003 as much better than 2002 as regards
the construction sector.
A majority of respondents expect higher exports and higher investments
to take place in 2004.
A majority of respondents cited an increase in business costs, a
surplus in the number of employees, taxes and the exchange rate of the
kuna as the biggest problems they are going to face in the next year.
(Hina) ms