ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - A monthly inflow of money from abroad to accounts opened by Croatian retired persons with Croatian banks after they had earned pensions in foreign countries had doubled in 1998. The monthly influx of 'foreign
pensions' was 139.9 million kuna (approximately US$22.5 million) in 1998, while it had amounted to 65.7 kuna (US$10.5 million) in 1997. Most of remittances were sent from Germany and other western European countries where Croats used to go to work for twenty or thirty years ("guest-workers"). Croatian Minister of Return and Immigration, Marijan Petrovic, told Hina recently that the number of those who had returned to Croatia after being granted a pension abroad had totalled 80,000 up to now. Petrovic added that their families had come back with those retirees, so that a number of the returnees could be much higher. According to statistics of the Croatian Interior Ministry, abou
ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - A monthly inflow of money from abroad to
accounts opened by Croatian retired persons with Croatian banks
after they had earned pensions in foreign countries had doubled in
1998. The monthly influx of 'foreign pensions' was 139.9 million
kuna (approximately US$22.5 million) in 1998, while it had amounted
to 65.7 kuna (US$10.5 million) in 1997.
Most of remittances were sent from Germany and other western
European countries where Croats used to go to work for twenty or
thirty years ("guest-workers").
Croatian Minister of Return and Immigration, Marijan Petrovic,
told Hina recently that the number of those who had returned to
Croatia after being granted a pension abroad had totalled 80,000 up
to now.
Petrovic added that their families had come back with those
retirees, so that a number of the returnees could be much higher.
According to statistics of the Croatian Interior Ministry, about
47,000 emigrants came back to Croatia from 1991 to 1998.
According to the statistics of the Education Ministry, last year it
received and treated 9,555 requests for validation of the diplomas
of young Croatian emigrants. Most of these requests were forwarded
from Germany and other western European countries.
Minister Petrovic pointed to this figure explaining that it showed
how many young educated Croats had come back.
?he Education Ministry awarded 218 scholarships for young
returnees in the 1998/1999 school year. High school pupils were
granted 55 scholarships, while undergraduates were given 163.
The Education Ministry also gives support to young returnees who
plan to study the Croatian language before they enrol at colleges.
The Minister of Return said they were trying to provide more
incentive for young people to return to Croatia.
He also told Hina that his ministry accentuated the importance of
the return of businessmen who could invest into the Croatian
economy.
(hina) ms