ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - Speaking at Entrepreneurs' Day in Zagreb on Monday, Croatian Finance Minister Ivan Suker announced the possible adoption of a new law on public procurement.
ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - Speaking at Entrepreneurs' Day in Zagreb on
Monday, Croatian Finance Minister Ivan Suker announced the possible
adoption of a new law on public procurement.#L#
Last year there were 3,446 requests for direct procurement and the
government is considering changing the existing law with national
interests being protected. Because of the large number of requests for
direct procurement, the government has set up a task force which will
most probably draft a new law, Suker said at Entrepreneurs' Day, which
was organised by the Employers' Association.
Deputy Prime Minister Andrija Hebrang said that consequences of the
war were still being paid with high labour costs. The government has
therefore decided to definitely complete the reconstruction process
this year, but the consequences of the war will continue to burden us
for some time, he said.
Answering questions by entrepreneurs, Hebrang announced the
introduction of incentives for the production of healthy food, fruit-
and vegetable-processing, wood- and metal-processing, and tourism.
A programme for the stimulation of small business will be discussed by
the government this week, Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship
Minister Branko Vukelic said.
The government's economic programmes include to a great extent the
short- and medium-term economic priorities placed before Croatia by
the European Commission, like maintaining macroeconomic stability,
accelerating privatisation, reforming land registers, continuing
structural reforms in the public finances, reforming the labour market
etc., European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic said.
According to current economic indicators, Croatia could be placed in
the upper half of the group of countries which joined the European
Union on May 1. It will be possible to complete negotiations on
membership in the EU within two to 2.5 years and in 2007 Croatia could
be ready to join the EU, the minister said, adding though that this
would not only depend on Croatia.
(Hina) rml