ZAGREB, April 3 (Hina) - Direct foreign investments in Croatia last year exceeded US$1.4 billion, the Croatian National Bank said on Wednesday, adding foreign investments in the 1993-2001 period totalled US$6.64 billion.
ZAGREB, April 3 (Hina) - Direct foreign investments in Croatia last
year exceeded US$1.4 billion, the Croatian National Bank said on
Wednesday, adding foreign investments in the 1993-2001 period
totalled US$6.64 billion. #L#
Last year's direct foreign investments are the second in amount to
date, surpassed only by a record-breaking US$1.63 billion in 1999.
As that year, 2001 saw the majority of foreign investments realised
through the sale of Croatian Telecom (HT) shares. The first stage of
the sale of HT shares occurred in 1999, when 35 percent were sold. An
additional 16 percent were sold last year.
Last year, as in the 1993-2001 period, the majority of foreign
investments were made into telecommunications, 61.68 percent of
last year's total of US$738 million, and 29.37 percent of all
investments in 1993-2001.
Besides telecommunications, most investments in said nine-year
period went into the purchase of Croatian banks, other monetary
brokerage, and the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.
In the 1993-2001 period Austria was the premier investor in
Croatia, accounting for 27.23 percent of all investments. Germany
followed with a share of 25.81 percent and the U.S. with 18.17
percent.
Last year Germany surpassed Austria, 36.07 as against 32.81
percent, due to Deutsche Telekom's investing in the second stage of
HT's privatisation.
According to the central bank's latest data, Croatian companies'
investments abroad last year exceeded US$118 million. In the 1993-
2001 period these investments totalled US$551.9 million.
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