ZAGREB, March 30 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Friday offered measures for the financial consolidation of agricultural and processing plants in Osijek, Kutjevo and of Zupanja's sugar factory Sladorana, all of which employ about
4,500 people. The three companies' debts amount to 1.5 billion kuna and the government offers a negotiating framework with the state willing to partly write off its 721 million kuna-worth claim (34 million), reprogram it (185 million kuna) and carry out recapitalisation (501 million kuna). Within a 45-day period an agreement should be reached with other creditors, primarily banks. The government today suggested that disability be retained in the Customs Law as the only criterion for granting benefits for the import of vehicles. This would leave Croatian citizens temporarily working abroad as well as returning emigrants without customs benefits for the import of cars. The Mini
ZAGREB, March 30 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Friday offered
measures for the financial consolidation of agricultural and
processing plants in Osijek, Kutjevo and of Zupanja's sugar factory
Sladorana, all of which employ about 4,500 people.
The three companies' debts amount to 1.5 billion kuna and the
government offers a negotiating framework with the state willing to
partly write off its 721 million kuna-worth claim (34 million),
reprogram it (185 million kuna) and carry out recapitalisation (501
million kuna).
Within a 45-day period an agreement should be reached with other
creditors, primarily banks.
The government today suggested that disability be retained in the
Customs Law as the only criterion for granting benefits for the
import of vehicles. This would leave Croatian citizens temporarily
working abroad as well as returning emigrants without customs
benefits for the import of cars.
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Zoning, Bozo
Kovacevic, said that 57 decisions on dismantling illegally
constructed buildings would be carried out after Easter. The
problem of illegal construction is conditioned mostly by poverty,
but in tourist areas this problem has taken on the form of organised
crime, he said.
Kovacevic warned that public companies, such as the Croatian Forest
Management, the Croatian Waters and the Croatian Power Industry had
resumed their unlawful activities.
During the past year, the ministry's inspection teams increased the
scope of operation and carried out 22,477 investigations.
Kovacevic warned about the inefficient judiciary which he said had
resolved 572 cases, pronouncing less than minimum sentences in more
than one half of all cases and no maximum sentence at all.
The government has sent into urgent parliamentary procedure a bill
on changes to the Law on the Ratification of the Council of Europe
Convention on the Transfer of Convicted Persons. The changes refer
to cases when Croatian citizens have received before foreign courts
prison sentences longer than envisaged by the Croatian judiciary.
Under the changes, these persons would be enabled to continue
serving their sentences, imposed by foreign courts, in Croatian
prisons, without the possibility of pardon or lessened sentence, on
condition the country in which the sentence was pronounced agrees
to it.
The government today also adopted a decision to initiate a
procedure for signing an agreement on the establishment of a South-
East European council for civilian and military planning in
emergency situations. Croatia should play a significant role in the
initiative, which is aimed at preventing major disasters, because
the disaster-prevention centre would most probably be located in
Croatia, said Interior Minister Sime Lucin.
(hina) sb rml