At a session on Thursday, the government adopted an annual plan for the promotion of employment and set up a commission to monitor its implementation. The commission will be headed by Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.
Calling on employers and trade unions to join in implementing the plan, Sanader reiterated the government's determination to crack down on the grey economy, saying it was doing damage to the employee, the state, competitors and the employer himself.
The government also adopted a loan financing programme for family enterprises in the tourist sector.
The government said it was satisfied with the pace of implementation of a three-year programme under which 162 hotels have been built and about 2,000 people employed. For this purpose 255 loans worth nearly KN1 billion have been approved and the government has set aside KN22 million to subsidise the payment of interest rates.
The new loan financing programme provides for simpler procedures for obtaining loans at very favourable interest rates.
Maritime Affairs Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said that another 200-300 small four and five star family-run hotels would be opened over the next three years.
The government expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the Right to Information Act in 2005.
It asked the Parliament to authorise the participation of Croatian troops in nine multilateral military exercises outside the country, notably in Hungary, German, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova.
The government also decided to award slightly over KN1 million to skiing champion Janica Kostelic, her brother Ivica and members of their team for the medals won at the Winter Olympic Games in Turin.
Janica Kostelic will be awarded a total of KN338,000 for a gold and a silver medal, while Ivica will receive KN130,000 for a silver.
(1 euro = 7.3 kuna)