OPATIJA, Nov 21 (Hina) - A high unemployment rate, low economic growth, connected stagnating exports and high imports are key problems with which the Croatian government must deal. The goal should inevitably be to speed up the growth
of Croatia's economy, with the use of results of modern economic science, but without ideology, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Wednesday, opening the 9th traditional convention of the Croatian Economics' Society.
OPATIJA, Nov 21 (Hina) - A high unemployment rate, low economic
growth, connected stagnating exports and high imports are key
problems with which the Croatian government must deal. The goal
should inevitably be to speed up the growth of Croatia's economy,
with the use of results of modern economic science, but without
ideology, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Wednesday,
opening the 9th traditional convention of the Croatian Economics'
Society. #L#
The conference, entitled "Croatia's Economy Policy in 2002" has
gathered 450 participants. In the next three days they will be
discussing Croatia's economy policy, globalisation and European
integration, as well as issues concerning companies and
entrepreneurs at the moment.
Opening the conference, Mesic stressed that the cooperation
between economists and state officials, or politicians, should be
improved. He said the condition of the so-called macroeconomic
stability for a successful and dynamic development had not been
met, if at the same time Croatia had non-sustainable current
deficits of the payment balance and budget, and a growth of external
debt and high unemployment rate.
Mesic advocated a review of the model of economic policy by science,
but also by those who make decisions. We will have to think about the
characters of a modern state in market economy. There are new
relations between the state's interventions and market mechanisms
which must answer our needs, Mesic asserted.
He recommended using the experiences of economists from Ireland,
Portugal, Hungary and Slovenia.
The president said Croatia was entering "a period of economy
founded on knowledge, a period of new economy strongly spurred by
the development of the computer technology and globalisation".
Globalisation and regional European integration are for Croatia
processes which cannot be stopped, Mesic said. He stressed a high
degree of Croatian economy was globalised: the share of the imports
and exports of goods and services in the GDP has been, so Croatia now
has all the characteristics of a "small open economy".
Participants of the conference will on Wednesday be discussing
Croatia's economy policy.
(hina) lml sb