RADIC ON NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

DJAKOVO, June 8 (Hina) - The Council for the Demographic Development of Croatia on Tuesday held a session chaired by Reconstruction and Development Minister Jure Radic in Djakovo, eastern Croatia. Speaking about the results of a national programme for demographic development, which the council adopted at its founding session three years ago, Radic said the aim of the programme is to incite families to have three, four, or more children. It was assessed the positive results were already evident. In 1992 46,000 children were born, while in 1997 the number of new-borns reached 55,000. In 1991, 6,215 babies were born as a family's third, fourth, or fifth child, while in 1998 the number was 12,732, Radic said. Presently, Croatia has a population between 4.2 million and 4.3 million, and is the only country in the world which enables mothers with three or more children to have a three-year maternity leave. Radic said the state was trying to induce families to have more children through other benefits as well, and added US$104 million had been earmarked from the budget for the demographic revival, while in 1998 it had been US$39.6 million. It is necessary to incite families to have more than two children because the demographic problem in Croatia is big, Radic said, adding Croatia was becoming a dying country, like the entire Europe. The aim of the national programme is also to prevent emigration, especially of the young, and to make as many Croatian citizens living abroad as possible return to the homeland, Radic said. (hina) ha jn