ZAGREB, June 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Government on Thursday adopted a decision according to which passports which are currently in use would have to be replaced. The process of replacing the existing for new passports will start at
the end of 1999 and the beginning of 2000, the Government said at today's session, sending into urgent parliamentary procedure a bill on Croatian citizens' travel documents. The Government also sent into parliamentary procedure a final bill on customs, which harmonises the customs procedure in Croatia with the one applied in the European Union. The bill also envisages privileges for Croatian emigrant returnees, who would be able to import their household appliances, which they had been using for at least a year, without customs tariffs and Value Added Tax. According to Interior Minister Ivan Penic, the Ministry has been working on the project of the new Croatian passport for
ZAGREB, June 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Government on Thursday
adopted a decision according to which passports which are currently
in use would have to be replaced.
The process of replacing the existing for new passports will start
at the end of 1999 and the beginning of 2000, the Government said at
today's session, sending into urgent parliamentary procedure a
bill on Croatian citizens' travel documents.
The Government also sent into parliamentary procedure a final bill
on customs, which harmonises the customs procedure in Croatia with
the one applied in the European Union. The bill also envisages
privileges for Croatian emigrant returnees, who would be able to
import their household appliances, which they had been using for at
least a year, without customs tariffs and Value Added Tax.
According to Interior Minister Ivan Penic, the Ministry has been
working on the project of the new Croatian passport for about a
year. The existing Croatian passport does not meet international
criteria as regards data it contains, it is not computer-readable
and is easy to forge.
The new law should increase its security level and harmonise it with
international standards, Penic said.
The new customs bill was drawn up in line with obligations Croatia
has to fulfil before it is admitted to the World Trade Organisation
(WTO). The most important changes concern the need for the
liberalisation of and creation of conditions for accelerating the
customs procedure. In comparison to its first parliamentary
reading, the bill has been amended with a regulation on a single
customs tariff for goods in passenger traffic. As regards out-of-
country shopping, citizens who purchased goods worth more than 300
kuna (US$41.6) will have to pay customs duties of 10 per cent plus
VAT.
Deputy Finance Minister Mijo Jukic announced that along with the
new customs law, which would go into force on 1 January, 2000, a new,
single customs document was being prepared as well.
Health Minister Zeljko Reiner said he hoped these regulations would
not apply to certain privileges on the import of medication and
medical equipment which are not produced in Croatia.
The Government sent changes to the Law on Trade into the second
parliamentary reading. Among other things, the changes provide for
the protection of domestic production from over-import, as well as
preventive and anti-dumping measures and measures against
subsidised import.
The Government decided to approve this year about US$2.9 million
for anti-hail prevention and another US$1.3 million for
alleviating the consequences of hail which in May struck about 30
municipalities and towns in six Croatian counties.
The Government also adopted the annual report of the Croatian
Reconstruction and Development Bank (HBOR) for 1998. During the
past year, the HBOR granted loans worth about US$202 million, with
most of them having been granted for tourism. The bank approved a
total of 5,191 loans.
Today's session also adopted measures for the financial
rehabilitation of the Knin-based textile industry 'Kninjanka'.
Residence taxes in the year 2000 will be the same as this year's, but
as part of incentives for nautical tourism, the Government has
decided to decrease the annual flat rate for permanent berth in
Croatian ports from the current 400 kuna (US$55.5) to 200 kuna
(US$27.7).
The Government also sent the Sabor changes to the Law on Farmland,
and a draft strategy for the protection of Croatia's biological
diversity and landscape.
(hina) rml