2000 - YEAR OF RECOVERY FOR CROATIAN ENTREPRENEURS

ZAGREB, Feb 6 (Hina) - Judging by transactions on their accounts at the Payment Operations Bureau (ZAP), the year 2000 was a year of recovery for Croatian entrepreneurs, ZAP officials said. Compared to the year before, cash inflow on entrepreneurs' accounts in 2000 registered a nominal increase of 9.9 percent, while expenditures rose by 9.5 percent. If a 6.2 percent increase in retail prices is taken into account, it follows that cash inflow and expenditures last year registered a real growth of 3.4 and 3.1 percent respectively. The total cash inflow in 2000 amounted to 400.1 billion kuna whereas expenditures amounted to 398.3 billion kuna. ZAP reports that a visible growth of cash inflow and expenditures was registered in the second half of the year, when it exceeded the increase in prices. According to branches, growth was registered in nine out of ten branches, ranging from 0.5 percent (in agriculture, hunting and forestry) to 30.2 percent in the fishing industry. A high growth rate (23.4 percent) was also registered in transport. Two most important branches - manufacturing industry and trade - recovered significantly as well. An extremely negative effect was present in construction throughout the year. Cash inflow in this branch registered a nominal decrease of 6.7 percent compared to 1999. (hina) rml