JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT: CROATIA PRESENTS ITS ECONOMY

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 1 (Hina) - Croatia presented its economy and business and investment possibilities on Sunday at South Africa's Business Week, one of numerous events accompanying UN's World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. #L# Assistant Finance Minister Velimir Rajkovic presented the chief indicators of Croatia's economy, particularly pointing out the four percent GDP growth rate, the lowest rate of inflation among transitional countries, the stability of the national currency and the entire banking system, and the increasing integration into European economy. He emphasised great, still unexploited, potentials of Croatia's tourism and its climbing on the ladder of most attractive nautical tourism destinations. Rajkovic mentioned shipbuilding, the chemical, pharmaceutical, wood, textile and agricultural industries, especially ecological agriculture, as potentially interesting to South African companies. The president of the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR), Anton Kovacev, presented the bank's work in promoting Croatia's exports, building infrastructure, supporting industry, entrepreneurship, as well as financing environment protection programmes. The programmes are presented at the Croatian stand at the Gallagher Estate fair centre near Johannesburg. Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac stressed that along economic stability, Croatia also enjoys political and social stability, as well as a tax policy favourable for foreign investments. The presentation of Croatia's economy was attended by the Croatian Ambassador to the UN, Ivan Simonovic, who is participating in the Summit as chairman of UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). (hina) lml