ZAGREB, Sept 14 (Hina) - Croatia's Economic and Social Council (GSV) on Thursday's session called on parliament to ratify a protocol on Croatia's access to the World Trade Organisation at the first autumn session to bring about cuts
in tariffs and prices on the domestic market as soon as possible. The GSV rejected a suggestion by some trade unions that the government withdraw an instruction on customs duties on groceries until Croatia joined the WTO and prices dropped as expected. Representatives of the government said the recent instruction had been passed with the sole purpose to prevent black marketeering during Croatian citizens' shopping in neighbouring countries. Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic told the session the Croatian National Bank estimated that Croatian citizens spent at least one billion German marks a year shopping abroad. He said this could op
ZAGREB, Sept 14 (Hina) - Croatia's Economic and Social Council
(GSV) on Thursday's session called on parliament to ratify a
protocol on Croatia's access to the World Trade Organisation at the
first autumn session to bring about cuts in tariffs and prices on
the domestic market as soon as possible.
The GSV rejected a suggestion by some trade unions that the
government withdraw an instruction on customs duties on groceries
until Croatia joined the WTO and prices dropped as expected.
Representatives of the government said the recent instruction had
been passed with the sole purpose to prevent black marketeering
during Croatian citizens' shopping in neighbouring countries.
Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic told the session the Croatian
National Bank estimated that Croatian citizens spent at least one
billion German marks a year shopping abroad. He said this could open
16,000 new jobs in Croatia, and pointed out it cost the state budget
an annual DM440 million.
Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said the government instruction was
a measure against grey economy and the black market, and not
something domestic tycoons were going to use to establish a
monopoly as feared by the trade unions.
In coming months, competition will force tycoons to change their
stance because three months after Croatia joins the WTO prices in
the same groups of products will drop twice, said Crkvenac.
Union representatives said limiting the duty-free import of
groceries would affect the destitute the hardest and definitely not
stop the real black marketeers who have well-established smuggling
chains.
Boris Kunst of the Association of Workers' Trade Unions of Croatia
called the instruction "cynical", adding the government should
first protect the standard of the low-income population. He also
slammed the government for not consulting social partners, saying
the government's disregard of social dialogue had crossed the
line.
The GSV today also discussed a proposal by the Croatian Power
Utility to cut the price of electricity for the economy by an
average 7.6 percent and increase that for households by an average
25.6 percent, except for people on social welfare and pensioners.
Employers support the proposal which they say will reduce input
costs for the economy and increase output. The unions agree, but
point out it still represents a blow to the standard of much of the
population.
(hina) ha