Of those HRK 28 million, the government has invested HRK 13 million and provided collateral for an HRK 10 million loan. The remaining HRK 5 million was invested by the port authorities of Split.
Speaking about the importance of the investment, Kosor said that some 4 million passengers and 700,000 vehicles annually passed through the Port of Split.
Kosor said that the latest figures showed that international passenger transport through Croatia increased by 46 percent and international vehicle transport jumped by 44 percent in the first half of 2010 year on year.
"The government recognises the geo-strategic position of the Croatian ports and their potentials enhanced by the construction of additional infrastructure. The time is coming for increasing investments in connecting ports and for additional investments in the rail network, and those possibilities will be offered to us by the admission to the European Union," Kosor said reiterating her cabinet's commitment to the implementation of the Economic Recovery Programme in order to render Croatia a stable economy and facilitate its entry into the European Union.
Addressing the press after the ceremony, Kosor said she pinned many hopes on this tourist season and called on workers in the tourist sector to recognise this season as "extremely important one which can help us".
"I believe that revenues from the tourist trade will be an important segment in stabilising the budget," she told the press.
The premier declined to say when exactly the revision of the budget could be expected, adding that the public will be informed of the matter timely.
She highlighted that salaries, pensions, children's allowances, maternity benefits and other allowances were paid from the budget regularly.
Kosor said that the proposed changes to the labour legislation were in accordance with efforts to take the country out of the crisis as entitlements and benefits could no longer rise in the current situation.
She recalled that due to the global crisis a majority of EU member-states "are making very tough decisions, including (benefits) reductions and sacrifices".
During the ceremony of the opening of the extended quay, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said the government would continue working on increasing the capacities of seaports in Dubrovnik, Ploce, Split, Sibenik, Zadar and Rijeka.
"Annually 17 million tonnes of goods are transhipped through Croatian ports and we must increase it, by attracting the flow of goods which is currently going from Suez to northern ports," the minister said.
According to a World Bank study, goods flows in this area will go up by 50 percent by 2020, and we must be ready for that, he said.