IMF DELEGATION ENDS VISIT TO CROATIA

( Editorial: --> 9394 ) ZAGREB, 18 Dec (Hina) - A delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed its one-week visit to Croatia on Thursday. The IMF delegation met with representatives of the Croatian National Bank (HNB) and Finance Ministry on Thursday, said a statement from the HNB. The IMF delegation congratulated Croatia on having successfully maintained a low inflation rate, on having started economic growth in conditions of macroeconomic stability, and on having achieved structural progress towards a modern, market-oriented economy. In the coming period, special attention should be paid to harmonising fiscal, monetary and income generation and distribution policies, IMF representatives said, adding that the available gross national product and its futher growth should be taken into consideration during that process. It is also very important to continue structural changes as soon as possible and privatisation processes in companies and in banking, IMF representatives said. HNB Governor Marko Skreb said that a more reliable insight into the real situation in Croatia's economic and financial relations with foreign countries would be gained with the help of an IMF technical mission, which is expected to visit Croatia in the second half of January 1998. (hina) mm rm 181947 MET dec 97