ZAGREB, Jan 29(Hina) - Croatian Finance Minister Ivan Suker and his predecessor Mato Crkvenac said on Thursday there were no more outstanding issues in the transfer of authority regarding finances.
ZAGREB, Jan 29(Hina) - Croatian Finance Minister Ivan Suker and his
predecessor Mato Crkvenac said on Thursday there were no more
outstanding issues in the transfer of authority regarding finances.#L#
"We have achieved a high level of agreement," Suker told reporters,
confirming that there were obligations that had been transferred to
the new government and that they mainly concerned long-term investment
projects of interest to the state.
Former finance minister Mato Crkvenac described the three-hour talks
as very constructive, saying that the meeting demonstrated the
responsible behaviour of its participants.
Suker said the new government would continue the policy of decreasing
deficit, one of the reasons being a better credit rating of the
country.
Last year's deficit will be defined when the budget is executed, Suker
said.
The two officials agreed that there were financial obligations which
would be transferred into this year's budget.
Speaking about the Croatian Highways (HAC) company, Suker said that
the company's costs incurred in 2003 would be paid this year.
Those costs will be part of the company's financial plan, which will
be presented in parliament, Suker said, adding that the costs would
not be covered by tax-payers because the HAC had an autonomous system
of financing.
Suker and Crkvenac could not say how much the highway construction
would cost in total.
Suker said that road construction works totalling more than six
billion kuna were planned for this year.
The meeting at the government headquarters was also attended by Prime
Minister Ivo Sanader and his predecessor Ivica Racan, former deputy
prime minister Slavko Linic, ministers Marina Matulovic Dropulic and
Bozidar Kalmeta, former construction minister Radimir Cacic, and a
state secretary at the Finance Ministry, Marina Dalic.
(Hina) rml sb