ZAGREB, April 14 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa at Tuesday's press conference introduced a bill on the structure and activities of ministries and state directorates, as well as amendments to the law on the government
administration system which the Government had forwarded to the Croatian National Sabor. Matesa also announced a budget revision by summer. According to this, the Government would have four vice-presidents instead of the current five. The Ministry of Privatisation and the Ministry of Economy would merge, as well as the Ministry of Immigration and the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development. According to the changes, the Ministry of Administration would become a state administrative body. According to the Prime Minister, instead of the current 20 ministries, in the future there would be 17. Instead of ten state administrative bodies there would be nine, and inste
ZAGREB, April 14 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa at
Tuesday's press conference introduced a bill on the structure and
activities of ministries and state directorates, as well as
amendments to the law on the government administration system which
the Government had forwarded to the Croatian National Sabor.
Matesa also announced a budget revision by summer.
According to this, the Government would have four vice-presidents
instead of the current five. The Ministry of Privatisation and the
Ministry of Economy would merge, as well as the Ministry of
Immigration and the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development.
According to the changes, the Ministry of Administration would
become a state administrative body.
According to the Prime Minister, instead of the current 20
ministries, in the future there would be 17. Instead of ten state
administrative bodies there would be nine, and instead of 14
government's offices there would be 11.
According to Matesa, current vice-presidents, Ljerka Mintas-
Hodak, Borislav Skegro, Jure Radic and Mate Granic, would remain in
their offices.
The Prime Minister proposed Ivan Herak as the new Tourism Minister
and Zvonimir Separovic as the new Minister of Justice. Former
Justice Minister Milan Ramljak resigned to his duties.
Matesa said that Immigration Minister Marijan Petrovic filed a
request for retirement in December 1998, and current Minister of
Tourism Sergej Morsan is to take up the ambassadorship to the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Economy Minister Nenad Porges will head the merged ministries of
economy and privatisation, while the current Minister of
Privatisation Milan Kovac will remain minister's status and will be
in charge of the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and the
Washington Accord, namely of the cooperation between Croatia and
the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, particularly of
implementing the Agreement on Special Relation between Croatia and
the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Prime Minister announced a budget revision by the summer.
In newly created circumstances caused by NATO strikes on
Yugoslavia, the Croatian economy is facing difficulties regarding
foreign investment to Croatia, Matesa added.
In that regard, we must redefine our strategic economic goals to
maintain the economic stability, Matesa said, adding that it meant
that the budget revision would help reduce public expenditure.
The Government will not derogate anything, salaries and pensions
would not be cut, and would be paid out on a regular basis, the Prime
Minister said.
He added the Government would forward a proposal to the Sabor to
reduce salaries of state officials by 20 percent.
When asked if he would resign from his duties due to public
pressure, Matesa said that resignation would be considered normal
procedure if at a particular moment he believed he was not able to
perform his duties adequately. Given that at the moment this is not
the case, I have no reason for resignation, the Prime Minister
concluded.
(hina) it/jn sp