ZAGREB, Sept 28 (Hina) - Croatian banks are slowly regaining the confidence of citizens and savings are on the increase. The Croatian National Bank (HNB) will firmly control (banks) in order to prevent the recurrence of the current
situation in banks that are going now into bankruptcy, said Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa during question time at the very beginning of the 33rd session of the national Sabor's House of Counties on Tuesday.
ZAGREB, Sept 28 (Hina) - Croatian banks are slowly regaining the
confidence of citizens and savings are on the increase. The
Croatian National Bank (HNB) will firmly control (banks) in order
to prevent the recurrence of the current situation in banks that are
going now into bankruptcy, said Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa
during question time at the very beginning of the 33rd session of
the national Sabor's House of Counties on Tuesday.#L#
In banks that have filed for the bankruptcy, this procedure is being
carried out, inquiries conducted and charges pressed. We are to
trace soon money which has "poured out, disappeared" from those
banks, Matesa said replying to a question of Slavko Kokovic, a
deputy of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS). Premier reiterated
that time deposits (up to 100,000 kuna or 13,700 US dollars) would
be paid out.
Th Government can exert little influence on the work of counties,
municipalities and towns. The Government can do little, but the
assembly of a town can do much, Premier said after he was asked by
Zvonimir Puljic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) whether
there was a way for "making" local authorities respect law, for
instance in Split where money ensured from the sale of socially
owned flats was not directed for the construction of flats for those
on welfare.
A series of questions of MPs were about the road construction and
the situation in Croatian shipping sector.
According to Transport Minister Ivan Pavlovic, the construction of
a road junction in the Croatian biggest port of Rijeka will begin in
either January or February next year. This is likely to be financed
by a loan from the World Bank. The entire Budapest-Rijeka direction
should be finished by 2003, Pavlovic answered to a question of
Zlatko Komadina of the Social and Democratic Party (SDP).
The ship operator "Croatia Line" is facing a total collapse. This
company is owing much more than the value of its assets, Pavlovic
told the upper house. Ships that have remained in the ownership of
Croatia Line are worth eight million dollars, the total value of its
assets is 20 million dollars, while debts are over 100 million
dollars. It is hard to say how many ships can remain with this
operator, we are trying to pay salaries to sailors and to reach
agreement with domestic creditors, Pavlovic explained.
To date, 23 million kuna (3.1 million dollars) have been paid to
farmers for the given wheat. Today about 60 million kuna (16.2
million dollars), obtained from the sale of sugar, should arrive at
an account with Hrvatska Postanska Banka (Croatia's Postal Bank)
and during this week the money should be paid to farmers for wheat,
answered Croatia's Deputy Agriculture Minister, Drago Coric.
The appointment of an envoy of the President of the Republic is
within jurisdiction of the President's Office and not the Defence
Ministry. Therefore I am not authorised to give statements nor can I
carry out an investigation. If I have been told by responsible
authorities to check the case I will do it, said Defence Minister
Pavao Miljavac, after Vilim Herman of the Croatian Social and
Liberal Party (HSLS) asked him whether he was acquainted with the
events in connection with a general of the Croatian Army (HV),
"self-proclaimed envoy" of President Tudjman, at a recent ceremony
of presentation of medals in Siroki Brijeg, southern Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
Reacting upon a remark of Ivan Ninic of the SDP that today's
question time at the House of Counties was the last one for the
Government in the current composition, Premier Matesa thanked
members of the upper house for the successful cooperation.
(hina) ms