ZAGREB, April 10 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said in the parliament on Wednesday that some government measures for reducing an unemployment rate did not give results and the Croatian government would consider new
steps. Racan said that reducing the unemployment rate was a government's priority.
ZAGREB, April 10 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said
in the parliament on Wednesday that some government measures for
reducing an unemployment rate did not give results and the Croatian
government would consider new steps. Racan said that reducing the
unemployment rate was a government's priority.#L#
Racan said this commenting on a question by Jadranka Kosor of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) who asked what the government
intended to do about 415,352 unemployed persons, considering that
the measures for reducing the unemployment failed to give results.
"The problem did not appear overnight so it cannot be solved that
way either," Racan said and added he had never promised 200,000
jobs.
"We must consider the fact that 'fake employment' has been hiding
behind the number of employed persons just as 'fake unemployment'
has been hiding behind the number of unemployed persons," the prime
minister said.
Zeljko Glavan of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) wanted to
know who approved the sale and purchase of 19,000 bank shares for a
high price just several days before the Rijecka Banka affair broke
out.
Racan said that crime has definitely been committed in the Rijecka
Banka, and that the scandal would not be hushed up. He said
individuals would have to assume responsibility. The investigation
is being conducted and I still cannot answer this question, the
prime minister said.
Djuro Decak of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) asked War
Veterans' Minister Ivica Pancic whether his ministry started to
work on amendments to the law on Homeland War soldiers regarding 100
percent war invalids, whose wages have been reduced by 45 percent in
relation to last year.
Pancic said the bill of amendments had been forwarded to
government.
Ivan Ninic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) asked the ministers
whether media claims that the former HDZ authorities had hushed up
key evidence which show the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague that
Tihomir Blaskic was innocent. Vice premier Goran Granic said the
"government cannot entirely voice its opinion on the claims made by
Blaskic's attorney, because it is his job to defend his client." He,
however, said Blaskic's defence received a series of documents and
evidence which should be sufficient for the annulment of the
verdict.
Josip Torbar of the Croatian Peasants' Party asked the foreign
minister about Croatia's steps to stop the emigration process of
Croats from Bosnia, particularly Drvar.
Picula said the problem appeared in Bosnia and Bosnian authorities
must deal with it. He said the Croatian government would help all
those who sought shelter in Croatia. He said Croatian government
representatives had warned international officials in Bosnia about
the responsibility of Bosnian authorities. The Croatian government
will, in a diplomatic way, try to change the existing regulations in
Bosnia which regulate the status of displaced persons and are
extremely strict.
Defence Minister Jozo Rados said that due to the public's negative
reaction, his ministry had dropped the project of building a radar
station on the Ucka mountain. Rados said the Defence Ministry would
request "the change of microlocation".
(hina) it sb