CROATIA'S GNP INCREASES 3.5 PER CENT IN SECOND TERM

( Editorial: --> 4281 ) ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - Croatia's Gross National Product (GNP) increased by 3.5 per cent in the second term of this year compared to the same period last year, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Related to the reference year of 1990, the GNP level in this period is still below the 1990 level and amounts to 83.2 per cent of the 1990 GNP. The Bureau of Statistics estimates that in the third term this year the GNP will increase even further than last year. According to the International Monetary Fund's publication entitled "World Economic Outlook", a comparison with transition countries the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia, shows that in 1995, 1996 and 1997, Croatia was second rating with its GNP growth rate. (Hina) jn sp/rml 302106 MET sep 98