DUBROVNIK, Sep 17 (Hina) - It would be counter-productive to the Croatian Association of Employers (HUP) to favour any particular political party or to offer open support in the wake of the coming elections. Parties change their
opinions and policies, while capital is always managed by the same nameless supra-national and its only objective to realise a better profit and more effective investment of resources. President of HUP on Friday said speaking to journalists covering the fifth annual assembly of the European Employers' Associations currently underway in Dubrovnik. Criticism being directed for the past two years regarding the current economic state is a message to Croatian voters in itself, Roglic said claiming that "HUP, who foresaw the stresses and problems in the economy, can be trusted". Asked about HUP's attitude regarding Croatia's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Roglic a
DUBROVNIK, Sep 17 (Hina) - It would be counter-productive to the
Croatian Association of Employers (HUP) to favour any particular
political party or to offer open support in the wake of the coming
elections.
Parties change their opinions and policies, while capital is always
managed by the same nameless supra-national and its only objective
to realise a better profit and more effective investment of
resources. President of HUP on Friday said speaking to journalists
covering the fifth annual assembly of the European Employers'
Associations currently underway in Dubrovnik.
Criticism being directed for the past two years regarding the
current economic state is a message to Croatian voters in itself,
Roglic said claiming that "HUP, who foresaw the stresses and
problems in the economy, can be trusted".
Asked about HUP's attitude regarding Croatia's accession to the
World Trade Organisation (WTO), Roglic and the president of the
Council of HUP members Eduard Noething emphasised that Croatian
employers and HUP have for sometime now insisted on preparing the
Croatian economy to be included in world globalisation processes.
However, this requires urgent development strategies which should
be accepted by consensus of all three sides.
The economy requires an inexpensive state, low taxes and
contributions, cheap development capital in order to be able to
achieve higher profits which would then directly strengthen the
country he added.
Speaking about globalisation processes, the HUP leaders stressed
that urgent measures were necessary to assist the economy noting
the example of Hungary where the Koprivnica based Vegeta company is
constructing a new modern factory where Hungary offered its land
free as well as loans to employ workers.
Roglic was asked to comment President Tudjman's recent statement
that extremely high salaries would be morally unacceptable in the
current economic climate.
It is the right of every private owner to pay salaries as agreed to
if they have been earned and following to pay the necessary
contributions to the state.
A private company director knows quite well how much he can afford
to pay his managers which of course depends on profits, objective,
sales increases, cash flow etc.
Roglic and Noethig believe that it would be more appropriate to
refer to expensive public companies which serve for "money
washing", or to the rehabilitation of private companies which were
destroyed after they had been rehabilitated with the tax payers
money.
The employers representatives stressed that the highest increases
in salaries were in fact in the public service sector, and in
companies under rehabilitation while in the production sector
these increases were minimal.
Asked about relations between HUP and the Croatian Government and
of talks held in Dubrovnik with Economy Minister Nenad Porges,
Roglic announced that the Social Economic Council had been re-
formed and cooperation was on the increase again.
(hina) sp