NEW CUSTOMS CLEARANCE REGULATIONS TO ENABLE COMPANIES TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIES

ZAGREB, July 21 (Hina) - Customs benefits for selected companies are part of a wider government programme of export stimulation and improvement of competitiveness of Croatian companies, Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said on Friday. Crkvenac made the statement at a news conference at the pharmaceutical company Pliva, at which Pliva representatives were handed the first certificate enabling customs clearance within the factory area. Describing this as the beginning of a new customs period, Crkvenac emphasised the certificates were part of a bigger package of government measures aimed at stimulating export and of a wider development-oriented economic policy. Crkvenac said changes had been made in the management of the economic policy and economic trends both in the real and financial sectors were beginning to change - there are important signs indicating the revival of economic activity, good agricultural results, good tourist season etc. The new customs clearance procedure will enable companies to make significant economies because it will reduce the customs procedure at border crossings to some 15 minutes instead of the current two to three hours, and reduce warehouse charges, customs documentation etc. In Pliva's case, this will help reduce logistical costs by 10 percent. Although the company has made precise calculations, members of the Pliva management Dubravko Mak and Zeljko Peric did not want to reveal more concrete data, saying only the reductions were worth millions of kuna. (hina) mm rml