GOVT ADOPTS AMENDMENTS TO BILL ON STATE OFFICIALS

( Editorial: --> 6857 ) ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - The Croatian government at a Thursday session adopted amendments to a final bill on changes and amendments to the Law on Rights and Duties of State Officials. According to a statement from the government's Communications Office, the government proposed at a Croatian Judges' Association suggestion that the said bill should exclude officials of the judiciary. The government also took the obligation to within 30 days forward a bill to the Croatian Sabor (national parliament) which should uniformly regulate the salaries of all judiciary officials. The government adopted with satisfaction a report of the Croatian Insurance Office stating that the signatories of the Multilateral Guarantee Agreement decided at a September 17 session in Barcelona that the said Agreement should also extend to Croatia as of January 1, 1999. As of that date vehicles with Croatian licence plates will be free to enter all European Union countries, as well as Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, and traffic without the green insurance card. Vehicles with plates from the said countries will likewise freely enter Croatian territory. The decision is expected to reduce jams at border crossings and in particular be of help to foreign tourists. (hina) ha jn 081814 MET oct 98