Business people point out the low efficiency of the public administration, corruption and tax regulations as major obstacles for their efforts to enhance competitiveness.
Singer said that a decline of Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2009 could be ascribed to a years-long procrastination in undertaking more radical structural changes, notably in the structure of economic growth.
She explained that as a small economy Croatia was not self-sufficient but it must plan its growth on a global level, which required a rise in competitiveness.
In this context she proposed a model of growth based on better productivity and export which she said required changes in the structure of production and export.
A member of the National Competitiveness Council, Ivica Mudrinic, said that it was necessary to reach a broad national consensus on a vision and strategy of Croatia's future.
He said that it would be better to redirect funds designated for shipbuilding into lucrative sectors such as ICT and energy.