ZAGREB, June 16 (Hina) - If the Croatian Government accepts and implement necessary measures and reforms for the economic recovery, next year total loans the World Bank has given it will amount to 250 million dollars annually and
donations will come to 10 million dollars annually.
ZAGREB, June 16 (Hina) - If the Croatian Government accepts and
implement necessary measures and reforms for the economic
recovery, next year total loans the World Bank has given it will
amount to 250 million dollars annually and donations will come to 10
million dollars annually.#L#
To date, the World Bank has financed 24 projects in Croatia with 860
million US dollars of loans, and will continue to help the new
Croatian Government as the bank positively assesses new
authorities' efforts to settle urgently economic problems.
This was said by Andrew N. Vorkink at Friday's news conference he
held in Zagreb. Vorkink has recently been appointed as the new
director of the World Bank's department for Croatia, Bulgaria and
Romania.
The World Bank approves the Croatian Government's steps aimed at
cutting the public expenditure and conducting the efficient
control of budgetary means, and maintains that it is good that
Zagreb is trying to solve the economic problems by urgent
activities, he told reporters.
For this financial institution it is encouraging that the
Government is announcing measures such as the settlement of the
debt to pensioners, restructuring of state-owned companies and
their privatisation.
Vorkink cited an increase in Croatian exports, the stable currency
and a 40-percent rise in booking for tourist season, as positive
progress noticeable since the beginning of 2000.
He voiced satisfaction with Zagreb's invitation to the World Bank
to conduct a survey of public expenditure in Croatia and audit
budgetary spending and transfers, and added that such moves had
been refuted by the former Croatian government several times, which
caused the concern of the World Bank about possible embezzlement of
budgetary means.
(hina) mm ms