IMIGRANTS ARE IMPORTANT FOR CROATIA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

( Editorial: --> 6943 ) ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - The Croatian Return and Immigration Ministry last year finalised about 600 applications of immigrants- returnees who invested in Croatian economy. The Ministry's Bureau of Economic Stimulus said most of them were so-called small-scale business people and craftsmen who had brought into the country about US$23,900 to US$55,800 a piece. According to the bureau's director, Nikola Vidak, about 30 "big investors" had invested an average of US$557,600 a piece. Stressing that these are only some examples of returnees' investments, meaning only those who had turned to the Ministry. However, most investments had been done outside of the Ministry, and there was no accurate information about them, Vidak said. "Small-scale investors" were the basis because one hundred of such investors who returned to the country with their families were more important than one "big investor", Vidak said, adding that there were examples of those who had invested US$4,779,500 to 6,372,700 into Croatian economy. According to the data, the returnees were mostly interested in investing into construction, tourism and agriculture. Vidak stressed that the government and the Ministry were interested in working on stimulating the return of all Croatian emigrants, notwithstanding their age, status or amount of capital they intend to invest in their homeland. (hina) lm 241437 MET jan 98