ZAGREB, Dec 29 (Hina) - "For less than one quarter of our term of office this Government has managed to do shortly less than one quarter of our job," Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan has recently said, thus describing the work of
the incumbent Cabinet that gained the confidence of the Croatian parliament on 9 February this year.
ZAGREB, Dec 29 (Hina) - "For less than one quarter of our term of
office this Government has managed to do shortly less than one
quarter of our job," Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan has
recently said, thus describing the work of the incumbent Cabinet
that gained the confidence of the Croatian parliament on 9 February
this year.#L#
Racan, appointed as Premier-designate on 27 January, spoke of some
activities in the normative field - the Constitution's amendments,
budget, changes in the taxation legislation and things from foreign
affairs.
Whereas the relations between Zagreb and the Hague-based
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
were the dominant topic in the foreign policy, at home this Cabinet
was wrestling with economic problems and the rising unemployment
which has recently reached the 22-percent rate.
In this year, the Government drawn up two budgets - one for 2000 and
the other for 2001. The budget for the next year worth 49.67 billion
kuna has for the first time lower than the previous budget.
In addition, the projections of budgets for the coming three years
were also prepared.
The Government gave the green light for a series of laws important
for the recovery of the economy, such as changes in the taxation
system and measures for the rehabilitation of railway lines,
shipbuilding and agricultural legal entities.
The Government was resolute to settle the state debts. By the end of
this year, of a total of 9.5 billion of those debts, 8.7 billion kuna
were paid back.
One of popular measures was to make it possible for clients who had
deposits with bankrupt banks to get back 2.5 billion kuna.
The incumbent Government also drew up an act to settle the debt
towards pensioners.
In the field of the foreign policy, the Ivica Racan Cabinet achieved
several successes, and discontinued the international isolation of
the country.
In 2000, Croatia became a World Trade Organisation (WTO) full-
member, and launched negotiations with the European Union on a
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). In the end of this
year Zagreb and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached
agreement on a new stand-by arrangement, which is likely to be
signed in the late February 2001.
During the first year of its term of office this coalition
Government consisting of members from six parties, was faced with
disagreement among coalition partners on the constitutional
changes, control over secret services, the relations with the ICTY
and on speculations whether the Cabinet should be reshuffled.
However, the Government will welcome 2001 with the same members who
have made up it since its constitution after the January elections.
Possible staff changes are announced for the end of January 2001.
(hina) ms