EMPLOYERS INSIST ON RESTRUCTURING, SAVING, REVISITED BUDGET

ZAGREB, April 13 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Association of Employers (HUP), Branko Roglic, on Tuesday warned that the Government should immediately begin with the restructuring, saving and the revision of the budget, or the difficulties in the Croatian economy would become more serious. Trade unions seem to understand difficulties in which we are working, but the Government seems not to have understanding, Roglic complained at a news conference in Zagreb. On behalf of employers, Roglic called on the Government to hold talks on measures which should be taken according to employers. The newly-elected president of the HUP council, Eduard Nothig, warned that additional debt accumulation would become a burden for future generations, since fresh borrowing would not be used for the development but for patching holes in the budget. Another leader of the HUP, Zeljko Ivancevic, told reporters about results of a poll conducted among 476 members of this association. Even 82 percent of them are anticipating bigger problems in paying salaries in the coming three months. This year about 50 percent of respondents have already taken loans in order to be able to give salaries to workers. Only 56 percent of respondents confirmed they would be able to pay in April salaries earned in March. (hina) jn ms