ZAGREB, March 16 (Hina) - Croatian Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac on Thursday refuted allegations that Croatia was facing bankruptcy. "I deny any catastrophism, any bankruptcy, any danger hanging over Croatia," Crkvenac told Hina
commenting on a heated parliamentary debate on this year's draft state budget, which among representatives of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) yielded assessments that "Croatia is facing bakruptcy." The finance minister said such assessments were "harsh words", adding some of his own statements had also been used to that end. Crkvenac distanced himself from claims on the "state's bankruptcy", fully aware of the effect they have on citizens. He agreed with Djuro Njavro of the HDZ who said Croatia could not have issued government bonds if it were facing bankruptcy. SDP MPs yesterday accused the
ZAGREB, March 16 (Hina) - Croatian Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac
on Thursday refuted allegations that Croatia was facing
bankruptcy.
"I deny any catastrophism, any bankruptcy, any danger hanging over
Croatia," Crkvenac told Hina commenting on a heated parliamentary
debate on this year's draft state budget, which among
representatives of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the
Opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) yielded assessments
that "Croatia is facing bakruptcy."
The finance minister said such assessments were "harsh words",
adding some of his own statements had also been used to that end.
Crkvenac distanced himself from claims on the "state's
bankruptcy", fully aware of the effect they have on citizens. He
agreed with Djuro Njavro of the HDZ who said Croatia could not have
issued government bonds if it were facing bankruptcy.
SDP MPs yesterday accused the HDZ "of bringing the state close to
bankruptcy through its decade-long policy," which MPs of the
formerly ruling party resolutely denied.
Crkvenac said it was true the state had fallen onto hard times over
the past ten years, party due to the war and partly to HDZ's policy.
"Bankruptcy is a word which could be applied to Croatia had Croatia
not taken a new direction, had it stayed in auto-isolation. But the
situation in Croatia is from no aspect such that we should be
talking about bankruptcy," the minister said.
We do have debts, unemployment, illiquidity, companies in great
difficulties, but that does not mean we are giving up, Crkvenac
said, adding the government had a programme and the possibility to
eliminate the difficulties.
He estimates it will take Croatia two years to come out of the
difficult situation, and that improvement can be expected as early
as 2001. "Croatia is not without prospects," he said, reminding of
the good placement of government bonds on the market.
The government is on the best way to realise a series of projects
bringing capital into Croatia, the finance minister said.
(hina) ha jn