CROATIA'S JULY INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT UP 8%

ZAGREB, Aug 19 (Hina) - Croatia's industrial output in July was up eight per cent as against the same month last year, the Government Communications Office said in a statement on Tuesday. In the first seven months of this year, overall industrial production was 5.2 per cent higher than in the same period last year. The statement described the trend as long-term growth, saying that industrial output had shown constant growth during an uninterrupted period of 22 months, or since October 1995. "If this growth continues until the end of the year, industrial production in 1997 will be six per cent higher than last year. "With the evident growth of other branches of the economy (tourism, the building industry, traffic and agriculture), it can be expected that the 1997 gross domestic product will exceed seven per cent growth," the statement said. (hina) vm jn 191933 MET aug 97