CROATIAN COUNTY PREFECTS DISCUSS LOCAL GOVERNMENT

ZAGREB, Jan 26 (Hina) - Croatian county prefects met in Zagreb on Friday to discuss ways of streamlining the local government and administration system. Administration Minister Davorin Mlakar submitted a report on the performance of local government and administration bodies in 1994, stressing the need to rationalize the organization of county offices and their personnel. The central government believed that the number of 7,000 local government employees could be reduced by 2-3,000. It also called for a clearer division of funds for financing the units of local government and administration. The Administration Ministry was expected to draft amendments to the existing legislation in the next seven days and send them to counties, cities and municipalities for consideration. Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa said that rationalization did not mean that surplus labour would end up in the street because local government offices in the liberated areas were understaffed. The funds saved as a result of rationalization would be partly used for compensation of laid-off employees, he added. Matesa said that county prefects were part of the central executive authority because 90 percent of their work dealt with state administration. (hina) vm jn 261813 MET jan 96